Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu sets the stage for the return leg of a keenly-contested Champions League last-16 tie between Real Madrid and RB Leipzig.

Brahim Diaz’s moment of inspiration settled a dramatic first-leg contest in Germany, handing Real Madrid a narrow 1-0 advantage ahead of this fixture while tipping the overall H2H balance in the Spaniards’ favor (W2, L1). That triumph forms part of Los Blancos’ eye-catching 31-game unbeaten streak across all competitions (W23, D8 – 90mins only). Yet, Madrid’s La Liga title pursuit took a tumble at the weekend as Valencia held them to a controversial 2-2 draw at Mestalla, marking the first time they’ve conceded more than once since January. The upcoming Champions League assignment comes as a welcome distraction, not least because Carlo Ancelotti’s men haven’t lost a home outing at Europe’s top table since April 2022 (W9, D1), including all three victories in this season’s group stages.

In the meantime, Leipzig’s chances of making it out of the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2019/20 are still alive. But they’ll need to show more composure in the front third after drawing a blank in the first leg despite generating a 1.24 xG. Marco Rose’s men have since blown hot and cold in domestic action (W2, L1), though they scored 2+ goals in both victories, including a 4-1 thumping of Bochum on their last Bundesliga travel. That triumph halted Leipzig’s dismal run of four consecutive winless away games (D2, L2), reinforcing their hopes of pulling off an upset in Madrid. Though they must punch above their weight to achieve that feat, Die Roten Bullen can draw confidence from their positive all-time record against La Liga clubs in major European competitions (W3, D1, L2).