Real Madrid v RB Leipzig: Champions League matchday three preview

Real Madrid will host RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabéu on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League, with the fixture arriving after Real’s 4-1 La Liga win over Sevilla and Leipzig holding one win and one loss in the competition.

Los Blancos sit eighth in the Champions League table and come into the game buoyed by Kylian Mbappé, who scored a brace against Sevilla and has been Real Madrid’s top goalscorer since joining the club. The preview notes Mbappé is expected to play an important role in the attacking front for Real Madrid.

RB Leipzig have registered three wins and three defeats in their opening six league matches and suffered a 6-1 loss to Bayern Munich in their most recent outing. In the Champions League so far they have recorded one victory and one defeat.

Antonio Nusa is identified as Leipzig’s most effective attacker this season, with 3 goals and 3 assists in six league games; the preview says he is a versatile player who performs best on the left and can play all along that flank. The article states Nusa will pose problems for Real Madrid’s fullbacks.

Real Madrid will be missing Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio for the match, while RB Leipzig will be without Christoph Baumgartner, Assan Ouédraogo and Marc Guiu.

Projected lineups are listed as follows: Real Madrid — Courtois (GK); Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bellingham, Tchouaméni; Diomandé, Güler, Vinícius Jr; Mbappé. RB Leipzig — Vandevoordt (GK); Klostermann, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; El Aynaoui, Banzuzi; Gruda, Reitz, Nusa; Nkunku.

The game will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain; in India the fixture will be available on Sony Sports Network and via SonyLiv. The last meeting between the two clubs ended in a 1-1 draw.

Real Madrid are coming into this game as the favourites and, the preview notes, are the most successful team in UEFA Champions League history. Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 RB Leipzig