Malta Independent

Game over for Mourinho’s Spurs

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Marcel Sabitzer scored twice as Leipzig beat Tottenham 3-0 yesterday, sending the Champions League's youngest coach and club into the quarterfin­als.

Sabitzer's first-half goals helped give Leipzig a 4-0 win on aggregate and deepened the gloom over Jose Mourinho's Tottenham, which hasn't won a game in nearly a month.

Tottenham came back from a 3-0 aggregate deficit against Ajax to reach last year's final, but a comeback never looked likely in Leipzig.

Instead of the Lucas Moura hat trick which turned the Ajax game, Tottenham produced a limp second-half showing against Leipzig and eventually conceded again.

Tottenham is without a win in its last six games in all competitio­ns. All that's left for Mourinho's team this season is the Premier League, where it's eighth, seven points off the Champions League places.

Just 11 years after it was founded by drinks giant Red Bull, Leipzig is in the last eight of the Champions League. At 32, Julian Nagelsmann is the youngest coach to reach that stage.

With Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and most recently Steven Bergwijn all injured, Tottenham seemed drained of energy and devoid of ideas.

Leipzig took just 10 minutes to double its advantage from the first leg. Timo Werner had one shot blocked on a quick team move, but picked up the loose ball and cut it back to Sabitzer, who scored with a powerful low drive from just outside the penalty area.

For the second goal, Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier misjudged his attempt to head away a long pass and allowed Angelino plenty of time to cross for Sabitzer to head in at the near post.

Leipzig's U.S. internatio­nal Tyler Adams made his Champions League debut as a 56thminute substitute when defender Nordi Mukiele was taken off for treatment after being struck in the face by the ball.

Dele Alli had the best of Tottenham's few chances in the second half, but could only knock the ball into goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi's arms as he was tackled by Leipzig's Marcel Halstenber­g.

Leipzig finished the job when Emil Forsberg scored a third goal in a scramble for a loose ball in the 87th, less than half a minute after coming on as a substitute.

The game was played with a full stadium despite growing concerns in Germany over the global virus outbreak.

Atl. Madrid-Liverpool . . . . . .1-0 Dortmund-Paris SG . . . . . . . .2-1

Atalanta-Valencia . . . . . . . . . .4-1 Tottenham-RB Leipzig . . . . .0-1

Chelsea-Bayern Munich . . . .0-3 Napoli-Barcelona . . . . . . . . . .1-1

Wednesday 26th February Real Madrid-Man. City . . . . .1-2 Lyon-Juventus . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-0

 ??  ?? Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between RB Leipzig and Tottenham Hotspur
Tuesday 18th February
Wednesday 19th February
Tuesday 25th February
Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between RB Leipzig and Tottenham Hotspur Tuesday 18th February Wednesday 19th February Tuesday 25th February
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