Real struggled against Villarreal and suffered in Rome against Roma, but then took off like a missile! After a convincing victory over Sevilla, Los Blancos secured an even more dominant win against Leipzig in the elite competition, heading into the upcoming El Clásico in perfect spirits – 4–1 (1–0). Vinícius Junior was given the nod on the left wing, having been handed a four-match La Liga suspension for his recklessness against Villarreal, but tonight he once again demonstrated his utter impotence and frustration. This was his second consecutive match in which he did not even attempt a single dribble, something that had never happened to him before in a Real Madrid shirt. But when Vinícius cannot deliver, Yan Diomande can! The Ivory Coast forward came on in the 70th minute, which was more than enough time to earn the distinction of being one of the best players on the pitch and show the Brazilian that, at this moment, his place is on the bench.
The former Leipzig player first set up Mbappe for his goal in the 83rd minute, before treating the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu to the move of the night. He met Brahim Díaz’s cross with a volley and unleashed a rocket under the crossbar, leaving Maarten Vandevoordt helpless. Mbappe finished with the same tally, meaning Jose Mourinho heads into the clash with Barcelona with his attack in excellent form, while the Catalans are reeling after their defeat at the Parc des Princes. Nevertheless, the man of the match was Arda Güler, who orchestrated the team brilliantly on the pitch alongside Bernardo Silva. The experienced Portuguese opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, while the Turk capped his dominant display in midfield with a goal in the 52nd. After that, everything was left in the hands of Mbappe and Diomande.
However, the road to a convincing victory was not quite so straightforward for Jose Mourinho’s team. Leipzig looked dangerous on several occasions in the first half, threatening primarily through an in-form Christopher Nkunku and the powerful Romulo Cardoso. Had Thibaut Courtois not been between the posts for the Madrid side, making several outstanding saves, including in one-on-one situations, the game could have taken a different turn.
The Germans targeted the home side’s vulnerable flanks, where Valverde struggled against the reckless and pacey Nusa, while Álvaro Carreras made some uncharacteristic mistakes. Nevertheless, even under pressure, Real showed their champion’s instinct: Arda Güler worked wonders with the ball on the right, while Bernardo Silva, combining brilliantly with Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, dominated the midfield and capped an excellent performance by opening the scoring in the 43rd minuteWhen the Turk officially confirmed his outstanding display in the 52nd minute – cleverly guiding the ball into the net from right on the goal line after Bellingham’s driving run and Mbappé’s shot – it seemed the game had been settled once and for all. Real dominated possession, slowed the tempo and pushed the action into the visitors’ half, while Mourinho reacted in time by freshening up his team with the introduction of Marc Cucurella and the aforementioned Diomande.
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Although Leipzig substitute Tidiam Gomis briefly brought some uncertainty back into the game in the 85th minute by making it 3–1, capitalising on a lapse in concentration from the Madrid defence, it was merely a fleeting spark from the visitors, swiftly and ruthlessly extinguished by a rocket from the Ivory Coast international in the closing stages.0 – Vinícius Júnior no ha intentado ni un solo regate en sus dos últimos partidos con el Real Madrid entre todas las competiciones, primera vez que encadena dos titularidades seguidas sin intentar un regate en su carrera en el conjunto blanco.
The final moments of the match produced spectacular scenes at the Santiago Bernabéu, where the substitutes once again injected fresh energy into the team. With Endrick and the talented Espi coming on for the tiring stars Bellingham and Mbappé, Real looked unstoppable in stoppage time. Young Spanish forward Espi came within millimetres of scoring the hosts’ fifth when he struck the post after a superb through ball from Brahim Díaz.