Warsaw: Mateo Kovacic’s late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium here Wednesday.
Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin’s powerful finish.
UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia’s opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured an historic start.
Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest-ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match. Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to side-foot home.
Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before half time, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th.
Real are currently in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund. Real travel to Sporting November 22, where a point will see them through to the knockout stage. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane blamed the lack of intensity for the draw. “We got off to a very good start, but if you don’t show enough intensity to keep up your performance levels then things become difficult. After the second goal, our intensity levels dropped, they scored and that changed the game,” Zidane said.
Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swivelling to hook the ball into the top corner. The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory.
But Legia hit back hard with two goals and then took the lead when Aleksandar Prijovic found an unmarked Moulin who beat Kaylor Navas in the Real goal with a pile-driver. But then Kovacic save the day for the defending champions.
Dortmund advance as Leicester made to wait
Paris: English Premier League winners Leicester City must wait to take their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after they could only manage a draw Wednesday on a night which saw Borussia Dortmund advance to the knockout stage.
Leicester, who had previously rattled off three wins in their debut season after their unlikely Premier League title success, could only secure a goalless draw at FC Copenhagen.
The Danish side’s only previous loss in 27 competitive games was a 0-1 reverse to Leicester in their Champions League clash two weeks ago, and on several occasions they threatened to take all three points on home turf.
Their best chance came in the 70th minute when Leicester defender Christian Fuchs cleared Benjamin Verbic’s effort off the line as the home side pressed forward while the visitors’ keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a smart save from Andreas Cornelius in the dying minutes.
Riyad Mahrez was once again the most influential creative presence in Claudio Ranieri’s side, but the Foxes had to settle for a draw on a chilly night in Copenhagen.
That point left the Foxes’ three points clear of Group G rivals Porto who saw off Club Brugge 1-0 in Lisbon with a Tomas Silva goal.
Dortmund, champions in 1997, thanked a first half goal from Adrian Ramos for a 1-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon which guaranteed their passage from Group F as they moved onto ten points – two clear of Real Madrid.
In Group H Juventus also missed the chance to go through after they were hit by a late Lyon equaliser from Corentin Tolisso in a 1-1 draw in Turin to slip two points behind Sevilla.
Agencies
