Real Madrid got a lead vs RB Leipzig, but received terrible news

Real Madrid had this Tuesday their first big challenge in the Champions League 2023/24. They had had a perfect performance in the initial phase, winning all six matches they played against Union Berlin, Sporting Braga and Napoli, and qualifying as group C leaders. But the most demanding stage of the tournament began this week, with the knock-out stages.

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Another controversial referee decision saves Real Madrid, now vs RB Leipzig

The draw for the round of 16 determined that Los Merengues would face one of the toughest opponents they could face: RB Leipzig. The German side have been protagonists in the Bundesliga for several years and have had good performances in Europe as well. Moreover, this season they pulled off an unexpected coup when they beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the German Super Cup.

And this Tuesday the hosts proved to be a competitive team. During the first half they were superior to Real Madrid, controlling the ball and creating some chances to score. In fact, after 5 minutes Benjamin Sesko netted the opener, but the referee and the VAR decided to rule it out for a passive offside by Benjamin Henrichs.

Carlo Ancelotti's team had had a few chances before the break, but their best came in the second half. After 3 minutes, Brahim Diaz made a great individual play that ended with a beautiful left foot shot that the goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi could not save. That was enough for the Spanish side, who then held the lead thanks to Andriy Lunin's saves, and could even score another goal through Vinicius Junior, who hit the post.

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Without Bellingham but with Vinicius, the lineup for Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

Not all good news

Despite the win, Los Merengues have reason to be concerned. After 38 minutes of the second half Brahim Diaz felt a muscle pain and had to be replaced by Lucas Vazquez. Although it is too early to know what happened to him, everything indicates that he suffered an injury that will prevent him from playing for several weeks. This is a serious problem for coach Ancelotti, who had chosen Diaz to replace Jude Bellingham, who is also injured and will be sidelined for several more games.