The UEFA Champions League is set to return tonight after a long break. The Round of 16 starts tonight with the match between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid. Real Madrid is the most successful team in the history of the Champions League, winning 14 titles.
The Los Blancos, however, have been doing great this season in the Champions League. Together with Manchester City, they are one of only two teams to win all their group-round games. Tonight, the Los Blancos will visit the Red Bull Arena to play the first leg against RB Leipzig.
Stats & Facts
- Last season, Real Madrid met RB Leipzig for the first time. As a new team, Leipzig did an excellent job against the Los Blancos. The German side defeated Real Madrid by a 3-2 margin for the first time in their history but lost the reverse fixture at Santiago Bernabeu.
- Real Madrid have a fantastic record against German clubs in the UEFA Champions League. The Los Blancos have lost only one of their last 15 games against German clubs in the UEFA Champions League. However, their only defeat came last season against RB Leipzig.
- Real Madrid has not been eliminated by any German club since Borussia Dortmund eliminated them during the 2012-2013 campaign.
- As one of the most successful teams in the UCL, Real Madrid have progressed from 11 of their last 13 Round of 16 games in this tournament.
- RB Leipzig have been one of the most emerging teams in the UCL. But the German side failed to keep a single clean sheet in any of their last 13 UCL games at the Red Bull Arena. The last time they kept a clean sheet was back in 2020 when they defeated Istanbul Basaksehir by a 2-0 margin.
Team News
Marco Rose, the head coach of RB Leipzig, has almost a full-fit squad ahead of tonight’s match against Real Madrid. The only doubt is Amadou Haidara, who missed the game against Augsburg last week due to his knee problem.
Real Madrid’s star boy Jude Bellingham picked up an injury during the win against Girona. He hasn’t recovered yet and is likely to miss the match. However, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t want to think about it. He said, “We never think of those who aren’t here. It’s fair to think about those who are there. We have to think that Bellingham isn’t here, but we’ve won 4 out of 4 games without him. Those who have replaced him have done very well, like Brahim or Joselu. He’s a very important player, like Courtois and Militão, but I think this has been an opportunity to get more motivated.”
Possible Lineup for RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi; Simakan, Lukeba, Orban, Raum; Olmo, Schlager, Kampl, Simons; Sesko, Openda
Possible Lineup for Real Madrid:
Lunin; Carvajal, Tchouameni, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga; Diaz; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo
Prediction: RB Leipzig 1-2 Real Madrid
The defense has been a massive concern for RB Leipzig. They have conceded 11 goals in their last five league games, while they scored 8. On the other hand, Real Madrid got a massive boost following their dominating victory against Girona FC at Santiago Bernabeu. Therefore, the chances are high that Real Madrid will win the first leg against RB Leipzig.
Betfair Odds
RB Leipzig: 2.95
Draw: 3.71
Real Madrid: 2.31
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