RB Leipzig goes from surprise to surprise in this edition of the Champions League. After being the first team to qualify for the knockout stages of the main continental tournament in Europe, this Wednesday they gave a lesson to beat Tottenham (0-1) in London in the first leg of the round of 16. The German team was playing the fifth division of their country's football just 10 years ago, and now they amaze Europe led by Julian Nagelsmann, the youngest coach in history to lead a round of 16 Champions League match (32 years and 211 days). The German manager has been nicknamed ‘the young Mourinho’ in recent years and much has been written about his duel against the consecrated Portuguese coach in which the student surpassed the teacher.

32y 211d – RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann (32 years, 211 days) is set to become the youngest person to take charge of a Champions League knockout match, overtaking Domenico Tedesco (33y 161d) who oversaw FC Schalke’s last 16 tie with Manchester City last season. Boomer. pic.twitter.com/rzQNT1d7BR — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 19, 2020

Respect and victory

"He has left his mark on European football and in several big clubs. I think he has 59 Champions League knockout games, and this is my first, so I owe him respect," Julian said in the pre-match. But Mourinho’s 60th match in the Champions League deciders will remain forever as a defeat.

RB Leipzig went out to the Tottenham Stadium as if they had played 60 Champions League knockout rounds. In reality, it was their first, and it only took them two minutes to have 3 very clear scoring chances, including two Lloris stops and one shot to the post. Shortly after, through Dele Alli, Gulacsi first appeared to show that RB Leipzig is not only attacking and that Tottenham was not just going to defend.

It is true that the game’s previous moments fell like a jug of cold water on the Spurs with the injury "for the whole season", according to Mourinho, of Son Heung-min, second-highest scorer this season with the club (16 points) and that was replacing Harry Kane (star and top scorer with 17 goals). That lack of goal and referent attacker (against RB Leipzig Lucas Moura played as a false 9) ended up penalizing the Londoners, who suffered a very high and constant pressure from the young German team.

Undisputed domain

After 12 shots on goal in the first half, it was a surprise that RB Leipzig had not opened the scoreboard. In the end, they did it in the hardest possible way for Mourinho’s men: a penalty from Davies that Werner turned into a goal in the 57th minute. Curiously, the German striker, who has scored 20 goals in Bundesliga, in the Champions League has added his 4 goals this season away from home.

The best news for Tottenham is, without a doubt, that Leipzig only won by the minimum in the New White Hart Lane because Nagelsmann's men proved to be far superior to the Spurs during Wednesday evening. The German coach, who is also leading the revolution of his men in the Bundesliga, left his cover letter in London against the runner-up of the Champions League with a fresh, offensive and very attractive style. They tie will be solved in the Red Bull Arena in the second leg, but Leipzig left the first game with a much better feeling than Tottenham. ‘Baby Mourinho’ taught ‘The Special One’ a lesson.