Preview: Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig · prediction, team news, line-ups

Real Madrid welcome RB Leipzig to the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday 21 October, with kick-off at 1pm Mexico City time, in matchday three of the league phase.

Madrid are eighth in the 36-team table on six points, while Leipzig sit 21st on three.

Match preview

Real Madrid have a perfect record in Europe so far. They beat Inter 2-1 at the Bernabéu and won 4-3 away at Roma, leaving them on six points with a goal difference of plus two.

In Rome they came from 3-1 down in the 82nd minute, scoring three times in the final eight minutes. On Sunday they thrashed Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Arda Güler and Yan Diomande also on target.

Madrid have won four of their last five matches, the exception being a 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid on 20 September. They have scored 13 and conceded eight in that spell, so the defence has not been watertight.

Mbappé has 11 goals in 11 appearances this season, while Güler has two goals and two assists in his last two Champions League outings. Diomande will face the club that sold him to Madrid in the summer for the first time.

Leipzig have three points and sit 21st. They lost 4-1 at Como on matchday one before beating PSV Eindhoven 1-0 at home, with Brajan Gruda scoring the winner.

Their recent form is mixed: a 6-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on Saturday, a 1-0 win over PSV, 6-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt, a 2-0 loss at Leverkusen and a 5-0 win over Hamburg. That is three wins from five, with 13 goals scored and eight conceded.

They have played only one away game in this competition and lost it. Christopher Nkunku, with four goals and two assists this season, is their main attacking threat.

The sides have met four times, all in the Champions League, with Madrid winning two, drawing one and losing one. Madrid won 2-0 in September 2022 before Leipzig took a 3-2 win that October. In the 2024 last 16, Madrid won 1-0 in Germany and drew 1-1 at the Bernabéu. The aggregate goal count is 6-4 to the Spaniards.

Madrid want to secure a top-eight position before Sunday's Clasico at Camp Nou. Leipzig, currently in the play-off zone, need points to stay in touch with the places above.

Team news

Madrid remain without Rodrygo (knee) and Raúl Asencio (leg). Ferland Mendy is also out: the database lists him as a doubt with a hip problem, but several outlets report that he is not registered for the Champions League.

Vinicius Junior returns. His La Liga suspension does not apply in Europe and he is expected to start, with Endrick the likely man to drop out. Éder Militão made his comeback against Sevilla after six months out and is in the squad, though a start looks unlikely. Federico Valverde could again play at right-back.

Leipzig are without Marc Guiu (hamstring) and Assan Ouédraogo (shoulder). Christoph Baumgartner is listed as doubtful with a thigh problem, and some outlets rule him out. Martin Demichelis is expected to name the same side that beat PSV.