Real Madrid will host RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Three weeks ago, Carlo Ancelotti’s team won 1-0 in the first leg, which was hardly an insurmountable lead over their Bundesliga rivals when they arrived at their headquarters.
Preview (Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig)
Due to an ankle injury, Jude Bellingham had to step aside, but his subordinate Abraham Diaz lit up the Red Bull Arena with a fantastic solo effort to settle the first leg of their matchup. With style, he navigated Leipzig’s legs and found the top corner. Ancelotti’s team gave up multiple opportunities to their attack-oriented opponents. Los Blancos managed to escape with a narrow victory because of a mix of last-ditch defense. It was because of the heroics of Andrei Lunin, and the wastefulness from Roten Bullen.
Real, on the other hand, has only triumphed in one of their last three La Liga games. They defeated Sevilla 1-0 and played out a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano. A refereeing controversy surfaced in Saturday’s match against Valencia. Los Blancos overcame a 2-0 deficit to salvage a point. Bellingham believed that his last-ditch header had saved Real Madrid from defeat. Gil Manzano’s whistle had blown just as Diaz put his cross into the box. It set off Almighty Blancos’ protests at the end of regulation. Bellingham became enraged over something he had said to the referee.
Real Madrid is still seven points ahead of Girona in the La Liga standings after that “unprecedented” decision. They now aim to avoid only their second elimination from 21 Champions League ties in which they have won the first leg; their only other elimination occurred against Ajax in the 2018–19 last 16. That time, Erik ten Hag’s team overcame a one-goal deficit at home to win a thrilling 4-1 at Bernabeu. Die Roten Bullen easily took advantage of their opportunities in a 4-1 Bundesliga thumping of VfL Bochum over the weekend.
Team News
Bellingham is fine to start against Leipzig even though he is one booking away from a Champions League ban. Ancelotti claimed that Bellingham did not truly disrespect Manzano and was only using the F-word. Despite this, Bellingham is receiving backlash at home for his sending-off against Valencia. Ancelotti’s only three injury concerns for the second leg are ACL victims David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois, and Eduardo Militao—the latter two of whom are expected to return next month. Eduardo Camavinga is in a similar situation but is a lock to start.
Less than a year after similarly heinous episodes at Mestalla, La Liga authorities are now looking into claims of racist insults directed at Vinicius by a child during Real Madrid’s match against Valencia, as a result of a video that was posted on social media. Regarding RB Leipzig, head coach Rose will have to make a change owing to a ban, as French defender Mohamed Simakan will miss the trip to the Spanish capital after receiving a third competition booking in the first leg. Even so, Simakan started the match against Bochum on the bench. In front of Gulacsi, Castelo Lukeba and Willi Orban should provide an unbroken defensive wall, while Luke Klostermann— Leipzig’s lone injury victim— is currently recovering from a hip issue.
However, Austrian international Xaver Schlager returns from his ban in the Bundesliga. It should be called up instead of fellow countryman Nicolas Seiwald to the midfield. Hotshot Openda, who scored his 17th Bundesliga goal of the year during the thumping of Bochum as a substitute, is expected to replace teammate Sesko, who gifted Ancelotti’s squad their first-leg loss despite missing three significant opportunities.
Real Madrid 3-1 RB Leipzig
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