Real Madrid are well placed to reach the Uefa Champions League quarterfinals for the fourth season in a row as they welcome Leipzig to the Santiago Bernabéu holding a one-goal advantage for the conclusion of their round of 16 tie.
Brahim Díaz scored the only goal three minutes after halftime in Germany on 13 February to leave Madrid in pole position to reach a 20th Champions League quarterfinal and move into the last eight of the European Cup overall for a record-extending 39th time.
Madrid – who have featured in the round of 16 every season since the format was introduced in 2003/04 – have won every game in this season's competition, becoming only the second team, after Bayern München last season, to win all six Champions League group games for the third time. Carlo Ancelotti's side finished eight points clear of Italian champions Napoli in Group C.
Marco Rose's Leipzig qualified for the competition's knockout rounds for the fourth time in five seasons – and overall – by finishing second behind Manchester City in Group G, losing home and away against the holders but winning their other four fixtures.
While Leipzig have won only one of their previous three round of 16 ties, Madrid have been victorious in 11 of their last 13 contests at this stage.
MATCH FACTS
Real Madrid have won two of their three games against RB Leipzig in the Uefa Champions League (L1), while the only previous meeting between the two sides at the Santiago Bernabeu ended in a 2-0 win for the home side (in the group stage in 2022-23).
This will be just RB Leipzig’s third away game against Spanish opposition in European competition – though they were beaten on their most recent trip (2-0 v Real Madrid), they did win at Real Sociedad in the Uefa Europa League play-off round in 2021-22 (3-1).
Real Madrid have only failed to progress from one of their last 20 two-legged ties in the Uefa Champions League knockout stages after winning the first leg, with that only instance coming against Ajax in 2018-19 in the round of 16 (won 2-1 away in the first leg, lost 4-1 in the second leg).
RB Leipzig haven’t won any of their last six games in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League (D1 L5), failing to score in five of those six. They’ve been eliminated on the last two occasions when failing to win the first leg in a knockout stage tie in the competition, with both of those coming in the round of 16 (v Liverpool in 2020-21 and Manchester City in 2022-23).
Real Madrid have won all seven of their games in the Uefa Champions League this season. Should they win the second leg against RB Leipzig, it will mark their longest ever winning run in a single campaign in the competition (also won their first seven in 2014-15, under Carlo Ancelotti).
Real Madrid (15) and RB Leipzig (14) are the two teams who have had the most shots following high turnovers in the Uefa Champions League this season. Indeed, Brahim Díaz’s opening goal in the reverse fixture in Germany came after a sequence in which Real Madrid recovered the ball within 40 metres of the Leipzig goal.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made nine saves against RB Leipzig last time out, as the German side were held goalless. Only once previously have they failed to score in consecutive Uefa Champions League games, with that also coming in the round of 16 (v Liverpool in 2020-21, lost 4-0 on aggregate).
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko had six shots without scoring in the first leg against Real Madrid, with three of those defined by Opta as ‘big chances’. Should the 20-year-old find the net in this match, he’d be the youngest visiting player to score in a Uefa Champions League knockout stage game at the Santiago Bernabeu since Leroy Sané in March 2015 (for FC Schalke 04 as a 19-year-old).
Vinícius Júnior and Brahim Díaz both completed six dribbles in the first leg against RB Leipzig – the first time a pair of Real Madrid teammates have completed six or more in the same Uefa Champions League game since May 2017 v Atlético de Madrid (Luka Modric 9, Isco 8 and Karim Benzema 7).
24 per cent of Toni Kroos’ passes for Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League this season have broken at least one opposition line (105/436); the highest per centage of any midfielder with at least 25 passes in the competition in 2023-24. Indeed, Rodri (128) is the only player who has made more total line-breaking passes than the German (105) in the current tournament.