Wrong decision: RB Leipzig loses dream goal against Real Madrid

A goal after 97 seconds in the last 16 of the Champions League, a dream start against Real Madrid - but Benjamin Sesko's goal for RB Leipzig did not count. Much to the incomprehension of sporting director Rouven Schröder. "I don't know what we did to not get the goal, it was a bad decision. It would have been a completely different game if it had been 1-0," the 48-year-old grumbled.

The referee team from Bosnia-Herzegovina led by Irfan Peljto ruled the scene offside and was not corrected by video referee Pol van Boekel from the Netherlands. Sesko's header was not offside - and Benjamin Henrichs behind goalkeeper Andrij Lunin was not involved. Coach Marco Rose said after the 1-0 defeat on Tuesday evening: "I don't know what was whistled, it wasn't offside, it wasn't a foul."

The 47-year-old nevertheless "didn't want to make a refereeing story out of it". What was more important to him was insight. "If he looks at it, then he admits the mistake. If he makes it, then I'm fine with it. I make mistakes too, sometimes two or three a day. The important thing is to own up to it."

Rose praised his team's strong performance - and Brahim Díaz's "dream goal" for Real. "He does it wonderfully, you have to accept a goal like that," said the RB coach and announced a similarly courageous performance for the second leg on March 6 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. "We're going there to take the next step in our development as a team. We definitely want to show ourselves and be the best possible, most difficult opponent."

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti is not expecting a walkover either. "We have to be careful in the second leg. RB Leipzig is a team where you have to suffer. We now have a small advantage and can then count on our stadium."