Real Madrid v RB Leipzig: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch as Vinicius Jr returns

UEFA Champions League,
League Stage – 3

Real Madrid
REA

21/10/2026
20:00

RB Leipzig
LEI

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Istvan Kovacs

Where to Watch Real Madrid v RB Leipzig: TV and online streams

Real Madrid versus RB Leipzig kicks off at 8pm BST (9pm local time) on Wednesday, October 21 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The match is live on TNT Sports in the UK. In the US, it’s on Paramount+ at 3pm ET.

If you live outside the UK, click the LINK HERE to find out where to watch it in your region.

Preview for Real Madrid v RB Leipzig

Real Madrid are building momentum at exactly the right time. With the Clásico at Camp Nou on Sunday, José Mourinho’s side first host RB Leipzig at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night, looking to make it three Champions League wins from three.

Madrid swept Sevilla aside 4-1 on Sunday. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, and Arda Güler and Yan Diomande were also on target in a performance that made it three straight wins in all competitions. That followed an extraordinary night in Rome last week, when they scored three times in the final eight minutes to come from 3-1 down to beat Roma 4-3.

Madrid have won both of their Champions League games so far, having beaten Inter Milan 2-1 on matchday one, and they have won their last six home matches in all competitions.

Leipzig, by contrast, arrive in Madrid on the back of a 6-1 pasting at Bayern Munich in a game that really outlined the difference between the haves and the have nots in the Bundesliga.

Prior to that result, Martin Demichelis’ side had been going well with emphatic league wins over Eintracht Frankfurt (6-0) and Hamburg (5-0) either side of a defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.

They have three points from their first two Champions League games with a 4-1 defeat at Como followed by a 1-0 home success over PSV Eindhoven.

They have lost their last four away games in all competitions, though, and are winless in their last seven away games in Europe.

This will be the fifth meeting between the clubs in the Champions League. They last met in the last 16 in 2023-24, when Madrid won the tie 2-1 on aggregate on their way to lifting the trophy.

Champions League Table

Team News for Real Madrid v RB Leipzig

Vinícius Júnior is available. His four-match ban only applies to La Liga, so although he will miss Sunday’s Clásico, he can play in Europe. Mourinho has confirmed the Brazilian will play.

Rodrygo (knee), Ferland Mendy (hip) and Raúl Asencio (leg) remain out, and there are no new injury concerns after the Sevilla game.

With the Clásico just four days later, Mourinho may consider resting some of his key players, but Madrid are expected to name a strong side.

For Leipzig, Christoph Baumgartner (hamstring), Assan Ouédraogo (shoulder) and former Barca striker Marc Guiu are all out. Back-up goalkeeper Leopold Zingerle is suspended.

Expected line-ups for Real Madrid v RB Leipzig

Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Carreras; Güler, Tchouaméni; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinícius; Mbappé

RB Leipzig: Vandevoordt; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; El Aynaoui, Banzuzi; Gruda, Nkunku, Nusa; Rômulo

Stats for Real Madrid v RB Leipzig

• The sides have met four times, all in the Champions League. In the 2022/23 group stage Madrid won 2-0 in Spain, Federico Valverde opening the scoring, and Leipzig triumphed 3-2 in Germany, Christopher Nkunku scoring for the home side and Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo on target for the visitors. 
• In the 2023/24 round of 16 Madrid won 1-0 in Germany thanks to a Brahim Díaz goal and drew 1-1 in Spain, where Vinícius Júnior’s opener was quickly cancelled out by Willi Orban.
• Last season’s quarter-final loss to Bayern München (1-2 h, 3-4 a) ended Madrid’s four-game winning run against Bundesliga clubs.
• Madrid have lost only one of their last 13 group stage/league phase matches against German opposition (W8 D4), winning the last four – most recently in 2024/25, at home to Stuttgart (3-1) and Borussia Dortmund (5-2).
• Madrid have scored in their last 26 home matches against Bundesliga visitors.
• This is Leipzig’s ninth game against Spanish opponents. Having won three of their first five (D1 L1), they are without a victory in three (D1 L2), most recently losing 1-2 at Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 1 in 2024/25 to make their record in Spain W1 D1 L2.

Prediction for Real Madrid v RB Leipzig

It’s unlikely to be a goal fest with Mourinho likely to tailor his approach so his side hit their peak at the weekend. But Madrid will still have too much for a Leipzig team that aren’t great defensively.

Real Madrid

2 – 0

RB Leipzig

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