RB Leipzig traveled to Spain on Tuesday to face Real Madrid in a crucial UEFA Champions League group stage match, seeking to rebound from recent setbacks. The German side arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium following a difficult period marked by a heavy 6-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and a 4-1 loss in their first away European fixture against Como.
Head coach Martin Demichelis emphasized the need for focus and commitment in Wednesday’s match. “The most important thing for us is to be switched on right from the first whistle and play our own game,” Demichelis said during a pre-match news conference. He urged his players to be courageous, maintain their style, and apply lessons learned from the Bayern defeat.
Leipzig’s management and players acknowledge the challenge posed by Real Madrid’s strength. Marcel Schafer, a Leipzig board member responsible for sporting matters, criticized the team’s attitude following the Bayern loss, saying that the players “had not even remotely fought back during the entire match.” Defender David Raum highlighted issues with intensity and passivity in their last outing. “If you give Bayern too much time on the ball, you’re going to struggle,” Raum explained. “We didn’t put up enough of a fight and were too passive. We needed to learn from that, and we have. Now we need to show a different side to ourselves.”
Leipzig’s encounter with Real Madrid is their third competitive trip to the Bernabéu, having previously lost 2-0 in the 2022-23 group stage and drawn 1-1 in the knockout round last season, which was insufficient to overturn a 1-0 home loss from the first leg. This time, however, Leipzig faces a formidable challenge from a Real side featuring attackers like Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Júnior. Adding to the challenge is Yan Diomande, who transferred from Leipzig to Real during the summer for an estimated €125 million ($140 million).
After a disappointing defensive display against Bayern, Leipzig is likely to make changes at the back. Lukas Klostermann may be replaced by Ridle Baku, who is expected to start again. On a more positive note, midfielder Christoph Baumgartner has rejoined full training and is available after recovering from a thigh muscle injury sustained in June. Baumgartner played a central role in Leipzig’s previous campaign, contributing 13 goals and 10 assists.
Young midfielder Assan Ouedraogo has traveled with the squad to Madrid but remains sidelined due to a shoulder injury and is not expected to feature.
Leipzig recognizes the difficulty of the match and the strength of their opposition but hopes to demonstrate resilience and improve upon their recent performances as they look to secure a valuable result in Spain.