Real Madrid’s quest to become the first 15-time winner of the European Cup will advance if they can avoid a home upset at the hands of RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie with the Bundesliga powers.
Brahim Diaz scored the lone goal in the first leg, a very even affair that required heroics from Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
[ MORE: Real Madrid vs Leipzig recap, final score ]
Real were missing five notable players in that game. Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger are available for this one while David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Thibaut Courtois remain out.
Leipzig’s been led by Belgian forward Lois Openda and Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons, who have 35 goal contributions between them in Bundesliga play alone.
[ MORE: UEFA Champions League hub — Schedule, scores ]
Defender David Raum is a key piece, and goalkeeper Janis Blaswich will likely need to come up big at least once if Leipzig is to turn this tie around.
How to watch Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET, Wednesday (March 6)
How to watch: Paramount+ and TUDN USA
Focus on Real Madrid
Madrid has been in a mini-funk, drawing Rayo Vallecano and Valencia away and beating Sevilla 1-0 at home since the first leg.
Focus on RB Leipzig
Leipzig’s won two and lost once since the first leg in Germany, sandwiching Bundesliga wins over Borussia Monchengladbach and Bochum around a 90th-minute loss to Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig prediction
This will be nervy, even at the Bernabeu, as Leipzig can play fast and challenge any teams. But Real’s experience, midfield, and home crowd make the idea of predicting anything but Madrid emerging with a quarterfinal place a silly one. Real Madrid 1-1 RB Leipzig, with Real advancing 2-1 on aggregate.
