Legia Warsaw vs. Real Madrid: Score, Reaction from 2016 Champions League Match

Gareth Bale scored a screamer inside the opening minute, but Real Madrid could only manage a 3-3 draw with Legia Warsaw in Champions League play Wednesday inside a mostly empty Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.

Karim Benzema and Mateo Kovacic also scored for the tournament's reigning champions, which could have punched their ticket to the next stage with a victory paired with Borussia Dortmund's win over Sporting CP. Now they will need to wait at least one more match to clinch a knockout berth.

Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, Miroslav Radovic and Thibault Moulin netted the goals for Legia as part of a highly spirited, come-from-behind performance to get a deserved point.

Fans were barred from the stadium, which typically holds more than 30,000 raucous supporters, after problems ahead of Legia's UCL opener against Borussia Dortmund. It created a unique atmosphere, as the on-field discussion was heard loud and clear throughout the fixture.

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane stated at a pre-match news conference that he would have preferred to play under normal circumstances.

"There is no advantage. I always prefer to play in front of supporters even away from home because that's what football is all about, but that's the situation we face," he said. "We have to play without any fans and we're going to prepare as we always do, only thinking about how important the three points are."

One thing's for sure: It's unfortunate more people weren't in attendance to witness Bale's first-minute goal, which seemed to come with the opening whistle still echoing off the vacant seats.

A rather mundane buildup finished with Cristiano Ronaldo flicking a header in the Welsh winger's direction. Rather than bring the ball down on the bounce and try to beat the defender, Bale unleashed a laser with his left foot past Legia goalkeeper Arkadiusz Malarz and into the upper 90.

Ben Hayward of Goal commented on the volley and the unusual ambiance:

ESPN Stats and Info showcased the steady build during the first minute of play:

Bale was involved again as Real increased the lead in the 35th minute.

Los Blancos passed the ball around the Legia defense at will, with Kovacic delivering the best ball of the batch to find Bale in the box. The winger laid off a quick touch to Benzema, and the French striker made no mistake slotting it into the corner.

Sky Sports Statto noted it was a much-needed tally for the veteran forward:

Some sloppy defending by the Real back line allowed the Wojskowi to get back within one before the half-time break, though.

Odjidja-Ofoe took a pass from Guilherme and, with the benefit of endless time and space as the Blancos' defense backed off, found an angle to curl a shot past a diving Keylor Navas to get the hosts on the scoreboard. The Costa Rican 'keeper had no chance.

Dermot Corrigan of ESPN pointed out the midfielder deserved credit for a fine finish, though the Real Madrid defensive breakdown aided the effort:

Legia Warsaw pulled back level shortly before the hour mark courtesy of Radovic. It was another example of listless defending from Real as they watched the winger work his way into scoring range before beating Navas, who will probably want that one back, as it slipped under his hands.

Squawka Football highlighted the goalscorer's recent strong form:

Shockingly, Legia looked primed to complete a stunning comeback victory by moving ahead in the 83rd minute. Moulin ripped a shot by Navas after a soft touch by Aleksandar Prijovic to give the midfielder a perfect look at the goal for a clinical finish.

That goal finally caused Real to awake from their slumber in time to salvage a point, however. Dani Carvajal pushed forward to set up Kovacic, who came through in the clutch with a shot just inside the far post to tie the match just two minutes after the home side took the lead.

Jon Driscoll of Sky Sports remarked on the entertaining nature of the match:

In the end, neither club was able to punctuate the match with a late winner, though Real came awfully close. Lucas Vazquez had the victory on his foot in the final minute, but his shot drilled off the crossbar and Legia were able to clear for the final whistle.

Looking ahead, Real Madrid would have benefited from the early advancement to the knockout stages. Although their spot in the round of 16 isn't in much doubt, clinching a spot early could have allowed the club to work in a little extra rest for its stars amid a busy schedule over the next few months.

Los Blancos return to action Sunday for a Liga clash against Leganes. The league leaders should emerge from that match with all three points heading into an international break. Upon return, they will have nine matches across all competitions over the next 30 days.

Meanwhile, Legia Warsaw are eliminated from advancing in the UCL, but they could still earn the Europa League spot. They will likely head into the final match of group play Dec. 7 needing a victory over Sporting to advance, barring some unexpected results in the next set of fixtures on Nov. 22.

Post-Match Reaction

Afterward, Corrigan noted Zidane doesn't believe his side played the necessary type of football after it was able to secure the early lead.

"We lacked a bit of everything, intensity, everything, above all after we had scored twice," he said.

He also admitted the result makes it more challenging to secure the top spot in the pool, but it won't change their outlook moving forward, per Corrigan.

"For sure it is more difficult [to win group], but it does not change anything for us, we can still finish first and we aim for that," Zidane said.