· 2 min readIn this Real Madrid vs Leipzig match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Real Madrid came into the third matchday of the Champions League after a fantastic comeback against Roma, but their subsequent performance in La Liga had also offered positive signs. Mourinho once again made changes in midfield, opting for Camavinga and Bernardo Silva, while Valverde continued to fill in at right-back. On the other side, Leipzig were coming off a heavy 6-1 defeat to Bayern. It was an opportunity to see whether the German side had learnt anything from that result.
The opening minutes were evenly contested, with Real seeing more of the ball but creating little danger. Leipzig weren’t content to sit back either, and in the 13th minute, Nusa showed exactly why. He received a long pass, controlled it brilliantly and beat Valverde before entering the box. The move was eventually blocked, but it served as a warning: Real’s makeshift right-back was in for a difficult afternoon.
The game continued without any major chances until the 28th minute, when a mistake from Carreras allowed Leipzig to break on the counter-attack. Nkunku found Raum, who set up Rômulo, but Courtois produced a good save. Real threatened too, with Vini Jr forcing Vandevoordt into action, but Leipzig looked comfortable and were managing to exploit the available space.
In the 40th minute, the best chance of the game so far arrived. Raum once again drove forward on the counter and sent Nkunku through one-on-one with Courtois. The striker had everything he needed to score, but his finish was poor and the goalkeeper made the save. It was a costly miss, because Real didn’t take long to punish them.
In the 44th minute, Bellingham found Güler, who combined with Mbappé before the ball reached Valverde. The Uruguayan crossed, Güler shot and, after the goalkeeper failed to hold on to the ball, Bernardo Silva arrived to tap it in. Real were ahead, although they had struggled more than the scoreline suggested over the course of the first half.
The second half began with another save from Vandevoordt, this time from a Valverde shot. But in the 52nd minute, Real extended their lead. Bellingham crossed to the far post, Mbappé won the aerial duel and, as the ball headed towards goal, Güler appeared almost on the goal line to finish. The goal went down as the Turkish midfielder’s, although Mbappé already seemed to have done the hard work.
Leipzig still tried to respond. Rômulo came close to scoring, first with a shot blocked by Valverde and then with a header that went over the bar. But they lacked the consistency to turn those promising moves into a genuine threat. For Real, Vini Jr put in a solid performance without setting the world alight, but at least he avoided repeating the worrying displays of recent weeks.
In the 70th minute, Mourinho took off the Brazilian and Carreras, bringing on Diomandé, a former Leipzig player. Güler came off later too, in one of those typical Mourinho substitutions. In the 83rd minute, Diomandé found Mbappé on the edge of the box and the Frenchman, without needing much backlift, curled a shot into the top corner. A screamer.
Leipzig pulled one back two minutes later, with Gomis finishing after a good run from Baumgartner. But Real’s response was immediate: Brahim crossed for Diomandé, who struck the ball first time and sent it into the top corner. Another screamer, this time with the former-club rule coming into play.
Post-match
Real won 4-1 and once again showed their attacking quality. Diomandé made the most of his limited minutes to send a clear message: right now, he has a strong case to start, even with Vini Jr available.
