Real Madrid beat Leipzig 1-0 on Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg thanks to Brahim Diaz incredible solo goal.
This result marks the first time that RB Leipzig have been shut out in their last 16 Champions League matches at home.
It also showed that Leipzig have failed to keep a clean sheet in a run of 14 straight UCL home matches.
The German team showed a lot of energy but wasteful early, frequently undoing their good work with poor decision-making in the final third and they were made to pay early in the second half when Diaz who replaced the injured Jude Bellingham opened the scoring as dafted into the side in place of the injured dribbled past five Leipzig defenders before curling a superb shot inside the far post.
The win was Real Madrid’s seventh in seven games this Champions League campaign and puts them in prime position to make it past the last 16 for the fourth straight season.
Real travelled to Saxony without England midfielder Bellingham, who injured his ankle in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Girona. With first-choice centre-backs Antonio Ruediger, David Alaba and Eder Militao ruled out, coach Carlo Ancelotti opted to continue midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni’s stint in central defence.
Despite their injury woes, Real sit five points clear in the league and have only lost twice this season in all competitions, both times to derby rivals Atletico Madrid.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose disclosed Tuesday his side were not afraid of Real Madrid, having beaten the 14-time European champions 3-2 at the same venue in October 2022.
Andriy Lunin has become the second Real Madrid goalkeeper to make at least nine saves in a single Champions League game without conceding since at least the 2003-04 season.
He joined Thibaut Courtois, who also made nine saves in the final against Liverpool in 2022.
Leipzig had nine shots on target to Madrid’s three, albeit Madrid also hit the post, which counts as a shot off target.
They had the better of the chances, and Andriy Lunin was the busier of the two goalkeepers.
Real Madrid were just more clinical. Incidentally, possession was exactly 50-50.
