Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig kicks off on 21 Oct 2026 at 15:00 EST and 20:00 GMT.
Madrid are back in their groove
Real Madrid stylishly dispatched Sevilla 4-1 at the weekend thanks to a double from Kylian Mbappe, and goals from Arda Guler and Yan Diomande. Next up for Jose Mourinho's men is a meeting with Barcelona in El Clasico, but before that, they host RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Madrid produced a stunning comeback on matchday 2 of the league phase, scoring three times in the final eight minutes to roar to a 4-3 win at Roma. Ivorian winger Yan Diomande will meet his old club here after a big-money move to Madrid in the summer.
Getty ImagesLeipzig licking their wounds
A heavy 6-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at the weekend leaves Leipzig a little shell-shocked, although they have still scored 15 times in their first five Bundesliga outings this term under Martin Demichelis. They've won three and lost three matches in their domestic league, something that rather neatly sums up how unpredictable they can be.
Getty ImagesKey stats & injury news
- Madrid are without Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, while Marc Guiu and Assan Ouédraogo are sidelined for Leipzig.
- Turkish superstar Arda Guler has two goals and two assists in his last two UCL matches.
Team news & squads
Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig Probable lineups
Jose Mourinho names a projected XI featuring Thibaut Courtois in goal, with Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Ruediger, and Denzel Dumfries across the back four. Yan Diomande, Federico Valverde, and Aurelien Tchouameni are listed in midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz, with Kylian Mbappe leading the attack. No injuries or suspensions are currently reported for the home side.
Martin Demichelis selects a projected XI with Maarten Vandevoordt in goal, backed by Ridle Baku, Castello Lukeba, David Raum, and Willi Orban in defence. Christopher Nkunku, Neil El Aynaoui, Ezechiel Banzuzi, Antonio Nusa, Brajan Gruda, and Romulo Cruz complete the lineup. No injury or suspension concerns have been confirmed for Leipzig ahead of the match, though updates will be added closer to kick-off.
Form
Real Madrid have won four of their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing produced a 4-1 home win over Sevilla in LaLiga, with earlier victories including a 3-4 win away at Roma in the Champions League and a 1-0 home win over Villarreal. Their only defeat in that run came against Atletico Madrid, losing 2-1 in LaLiga. Across those five matches, Madrid have scored 13 goals and conceded seven.
RB Leipzig have won two and lost two of their last five competitive matches, with no draws recorded. Their most recent fixture ended in a heavy 6-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, though they bounced back from a similar low earlier in the run with a 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. A 1-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven shows they can perform in Europe. Leipzig have scored 12 goals and conceded 9 across those five games.
Head-to-Head Record
The most recent meeting between these sides came in March 2024, when Real Madrid and RB Leipzig drew 1-1 in the Champions League at the Bernabeu. Before that, Madrid won 1-0 away at Leipzig in February 2024. Across the four head-to-head matches on record, Real Madrid have won two and drawn one, with Leipzig claiming one victory — a 3-2 home win in October 2022. Madrid have scored five goals across those four meetings and conceded five.
Standings
| # | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 6 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 | ||
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 4 | ||
| 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 | ||
| 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 | ||
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 | ||
| 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 | ||
| 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 3 | ||
| 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 3 | ||
| 25 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 26 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 1 | ||
| 28 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 1 | ||
| 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 0 | ||
| 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | ||
| 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | ||
| 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 | ||
| 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 |
In the Champions League standings, Real Madrid currently sit eighth while RB Leipzig are placed 21st, a gap that reflects the contrasting trajectories of the two sides in this season's competition.