Wolfsburg-Real Madrid Champions League quarter-final first leg 2016 as it happened

Real Madrid were beaten 2-0 by a solid Wolfsburg side this evening in the Volkswagen Arena, in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. 

The visitors started brightly, but Casemiro bundled Schürrle over in the box after 15 minutes and Ricardo Rodríguez confidently sent Navas the wrong way from the spot. Arnold then made it 2-0 soon after, beating Ramos for speed to finish at the near post.

Madrid made chances and kept looking for the away goal to have something to bring back to the Bernabéu, but the home side looked mostly comfortable to the end.

Here's how we saw it:

Full time 

Real Madrid simply couldn't get the ball off Wolsburg at the end to cause them any danger. They never looked like scoring towards the end of this and Wolsburg were largely in control. They deserved their win.

Min 90 + 4 |  It's all over. 2-0 to the team that Real Madrid were "lucky" to get.

Min 90 + 3 | Wolsburg are simply playing piggy in the middle with Real Madrid. They won't get an away goal if they can't get the ball.

Min 90 + 2 | Draxler off to a standing ovation. He has been excellent.

Min 90 + 1 | Isco picks up the ball and has a chance to start a counter attack, but slips. He has not had a great time of it since coming on.

Min 90 | We have four minutes of stoppage time. Stay tuned to see how this one turns out. 

Min 89 | CHANCE for Wolfsburg!! Kruse forces Navas into a smart save.

Min 88 | Real Madrid win a free-kick in their own half, but give it straight back. Time really is running out if they want an away goal.

Min 87 | Wolsfburg have made a rare venture into the Real Madrid half and are passing it around to wind down the clock. Madrid can't win the ball off them. 

Min 86 | Great cross from Bale towards Ronaldo is collected by the goalkeeper.

Min 84 | Kroos off for Madrid. Kruse on for Wolsburg. But will Wolsfburg be Cruising to a semi-final place?

Min 82 | We've an intruder on the pitch! He actually does very well and avoid the stewards for a good minute. Maybe too many of the 11,000 beers?

Min 81 | Can Real Madrid bring it back? Not long left!

Min 80 | Real Madrid force a corner, but once again the delivery is no good. 

Min 78 | Sergio Ramos does not look at all solid in the Real Madrid defence. 

Min 77 | Wolfsburg's Henrique has a chance to drive into space, but a poor first touch takes him away from goal and then his shot is straight at Keylor Navas.

Min 76 | Real Madrid are trying to be too fancy. Kroos tries a long ball to Danlo, but it goes out. 

Min 73 | Bale, probably fed up with his teammates' poor finishing, shoots himself this time and shoots over.

Min 71 | Ronaldo knocks it past the keeper, but nobody is there to follow up.

Min 70 | After the scuffle that followed Marcelo's "fall", there were a few bookings. Here's a recap of all those cautioned so far tonight: Benalgio, Vierinha, Luiz Gustavo, Arnold for Wolfsburg; Bale for Real Madrid.

Min 69 | WELL... Marcelo does a Zidane. Kind off... He sticks the nut in Arnold, before falling to the ground in "pain". That was embarrasing and he'll not live that one down for a long time.

Min 67 | SO CLOSE!!! Schürrle hits it over from just outside the six-yard box. The angle was tight, but he'd have liked to work Navas there.

Min 66 | Ooft. Dante takes a sore one in the private parts. He'll be down for a minute or so. 

Min 65 | Bale is playing well and constantly feeding his teammates the ball, but nobody can do anything with it.

Min 64 | Modric off now, for Isco. If this doesn't work out then this substitution will be discussed for a long time.

Min 62 | From the resulting free-kick, Ronaldo hits the wall.

Min 61 | Luis Gustavo gets a yellow card for landing on Ronaldo's leg. It looked accidental, but certainly a sore one.

Min 60 | Sad, sad and more sad. Real's players look upset enough, but they aren't exactly doing much to change their own fortunes.

Min 58 | Dante cuts out a dangerous looking ball towards Ronaldo. He has been great in the Wolsburg defence tonight.

Min 56 | Cristiano Ronaldo simply looks sad. His header goes well wide and he sits on the ground looking upset.

Min 55 | Yellow card for Wolfsburg keeper Benaglio for timewasting. 

Min 54 | The referee just basically tackled Jesé, who wasn't best pleased. Real Madrid already don't like this referee after his decisions in a match in the 2012/13 Champions League.

Min 53 | This has a similar feel to the start of the first half. Real have all the possession, but aren't doing much with it. Wolsfburg happy to defend and play on the counter attack.

Min 51 | Real Madrid angry that a free-kick is given to Wolfsburg for a foul on Bruno Henrique just seconds after a similar challenge on Marcelo went unpenalised.

Min 50 | Cristiano Ronaldo slips and falls on his bum mid-shot. Still looks to the referee asking for a foul. Clutching at straws there.

Min 49 | Ronaldo with a chance now after a cross from Bale, but the 2015/16 Champions League top scorer sees his effort trickle wide. 

Min 48 | Casemiro wins the ball in the middle of the park and sets up Kroos, who shoots over once again.

Min 47 | Corner already for Real Madrid. It's easily cleared.

Min 46 | We're back for the second half. Here we go! 

Half Time

Real Madrid go into the half-time break two goals down. They will have to click into gear in the second half at the Volkswagen Arena as the wheels come off their Champions League bid. (Insert your own car pun here)

The Madrid side started very well in this match and Ronaldo scored an offside goal in the first minute, but could not create any clear chances from their early dominance. That allowed Wolsfburg to stay in the match and the German side took the lead in the 18th minute when Ricardo Rodríguez converted a penalty after Casemiro had fouled Schürrle in the box. It wasn't the clearest penalty ever, which might cause more refereeing complaints to Pierluigi Collina.

Then, rather than mount a comeback, Real Madrid seemed shocked and they quickly conceded a second. Sergio Ramos was slow to react to a cross from the excellent Bruno Henrique and Arnold nipped in to tap it into the net. 

The Wolfsburg fans will be enjoying this half-time. Perhaps assisted by the 11,000 litres of beer...

Min 45 | No. Ronaldo can't score because Bale takes it. From 22 metres out, he dinks it over the bar.

Min 44 | Jesé wins a free-kick just outside the box. Ronaldo will step up. Can he score?

Min 43 | Henrique with another burst down the right-hand side, but stumbles just as he looks to play his pass. The decision to play him over Kruse is looking like a wise one.

Min 41 | Jesé had an excellent chance to make an immediate impact, but his first touch is poor and he can't control the good pass from Bale.

Min 40 | BENZEMA SUBBED OFF. The Frenchman couldn't fully recover from his injury and is replaced by Jesé.

Min 39 | Dante does well to block a cross, with Ronaldo and Benzema lurking behing him.

Min 36 | It ends with nothing more than a Kroos shot from distance. Which is easily stopped.

Min 35 | Bale is challenged in the box, but it is deemed a legal one and Real have nothing more than a corner.

Min 34 | Draxler, who said pre-match that Real Madrid legend Raúl has inspired him, lashes it wide from a tight angle.

Min 32 | Good chance for Real Madrid! Bale runs to the byline and cuts the ball back for Benzema, who heads well wide. That was the first real chance for the visitors since they fell behind 15 minutes ago.

Min 30 | All of the play is now in the Real Madrid half of the field. Draxler is causing problems for the Madrid side.

Min 27 | Keylor Navas busy once again. Real Madrid are in shock and are suddenly wide open at the back.

Min 25 | GOOOOAAALLLL!!!! 2-0 Wolfsburg!!! Arnold beats a slow-to-react Ramos to convert the cross from Bruno Henrique.

Min 23 | Wolfsburg with a great chance for a second. Arnold bursts down the left flank into space and crosses into the box, where it is just about cleared away. Real Madrid would have been upset at that as there should have been a free-kick on Ronaldo seconds before.

Min 21 | Casemiro shoots from distance, perhaps trying to make up for giving away the penalty. His shot fails to trouble anyone except the ballboys.

Min 19 | This is definitely the opposite of the Roma first leg. Real Madrid were poor, but took the lead. Today they have been great so far, but fall behind unluckily.  

Min 16 | PENALTY!!! Casemiro gives away a penalty on André Schürrle. 

Min 15 | Bruno Henrique (making his first start for Wolfsburg) works Keylor Navas. His shot from distance is comfortably stopped.

Min 12 | Benzema back on the pitch after getting some treatment. Just as well as Real Madrid just conceded their first chance of the match. 

Min 11 | This is the opposite of the Roma first leg, where Real Madrid looked vulnerable and lacked ideas. They are in the driving seat at the Volkswagen Arena.

Min 9 | Benzema down on the ground. Looks hurt, but gets back up and is now limping away.

Min 8 | Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. They've all had runs into the Wolfsburg box already, but not found the breakthrough just yet.

Min 5 | Wolfsburg are trying to get out of their own half, but are stuggling. Real Madrid's quick pressing is stopping them from settling.

Min 4 | Bale is knocked over in the Wolfsburg box. No penalty given, but the Welshman calls for one. After this impressive start, it'd be surprising if Real don't get an away goal.

Min 2 | GOOOA... IS RULED OUT FOR OFFSIDE! Ronaldo scores his 14th goal in this season's Champions League in the opening minute, but it is chalked off (correctly) for offside.

Min 1 | We're off! Real Madrid are wearing their blue third kit tonight, while Wolfsburg are in white.

4 Mins to go | The teams are out and ready to hum along to the UEFA anthem.

5 Mins to go | The teams are in the tunnel.

Teams are out...

Wolfsburg: Benaglio. Vieirinha, Draxler, Henrique, Schürrle, Dante, Gustavo, Guilavogui, Naldo, Arnold, Rodriguez.

Real Madrid: Navas, Danilo, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Preview

Zinedine Zidane gives Casemiro another start in the centre of Real’s midfield at the Wolfsburg Arena this evening. Real Madrid have always won when Zidane has started the Brazilian holding midfielder and they are clearly hoping that streak continues in tonight’s clash.

Joining Casemiro in the starting line-up will, of course, be Cristiano Ronaldo. The match-winner from Saturday’s Clásico has scored 13 Champions League goals this season in nine matches, unsurprisingly making him the tournament’s top scorer.

Danilo coming in is the only change from the side that started the Clásico, with Carvajal dropping to the bench.

Up against Madrid will be a Wolfsburg side that has not won in eight matches. They have, however, won all four of their home matches in this season’s Champions League and will surely hope for a fifth win in the beer-soaked city of Wolfsburg if they are to have any chance of progressing in this quarter final tie.

The main threat for the Wolves in Europe this season has been Julian Draxler, who has netted three times, including two goals in the first leg of Wolfsburg’s last-16 win against Belgian side Gent. André Horst Schürrle is another one Real Madrid will need to keep an eye on, as he has netted nine goals in total this term.

Before seeing off Gent in the previous round, Wolfsburg topped their group ahead of PSV, Manchester United and CSKA Moscow. Real Madrid, meanwhile, finished ahead of PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmö before dispensing with Roma 4-0 on aggregate in the round of 16.

The man in the middle will be Gianluca Rocchi, an Italian referee whose decisions frustrated Real Madrid the last time he took charge of the Spanish side. Zidane and co will hope things go much more smoothly tonight.