Real Madrid heads to Germany to take on RB Leipzig, a fixture that revived memories from the previous Champions League campaign. Leipzig, closely tied to the Red Bull group, lost several key players this summer as top talent moved on: Christopher Nkunku joined Chelsea, Dominik Szoboszlai moved to Liverpool, and Josko Gvardiol joined Manchester City. Other notable departures included promising talents like Xavi Simons, Lois Openda, and Bejanmin Sesko. The shake-up leaves Leipzig sitting third in the Bundesliga, trailing Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich.
Several White players will be facing a familiar foe in the national team circle. Dani Olmo remains a central attacking figure for Leipzig, though he is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury. By the time the draw occurs in February and March, Olmo is expected to have recovered and could line up again against Real Madrid, a club that has strengthened with players such as Vinicius Jr. and Camavinga up front.
Leipzig-Real Madrid, Napoli-Barça, Inter-Atlético and PSG-Real Sociedad lead the Champions League round of 16
Earlier narrative threads echo the struggles and triumphs of this pairing. Leipzig’s group-stage opening at the Bernabéu delivered a controlled win for Real Madrid, with goals from Valverde in the 80th minute and Marco Asensio in stoppage time sealing a 2-0 victory. Yet Leipzig returned to their home stadium, the Red Bull Arena, on the fifth matchday and grabbed a dramatic 3-2 win. Nkunku and Gvardiol fired Leipzig into a quick two-goal lead in the 18th minute. Vinicius Jr. answered before halftime, and a late flurry from Timo Werner and Rodrygo added drama, but the visitors left with a 3-2 scoreline after extra time. That fixture stands as a warning about the speed and energy Leipzig can unleash.
Leipzig’s journey continued into the knockout rounds against Manchester City. A 1-1 draw in Germany was followed by a merciless 7-0 defeat at the Etihad, a result that sparked a period of introspection and a restructuring of the squad. The club’s coach, Marco Rose, is regarded as among the brightest young minds in German football, steering a side built on tempo, pressure, and tactical flexibility.
Leipzig’s story is also a reflection of broader German football sentiment. There have been vocal debates about the ownership and identity of clubs backed by corporate groups such as Red Bull. Some fans from Leipzig’s traditional lineage, Lokomotive Leipzig, boycotted their first match in protest. A 2014 campaign, Nein zu RB, united ten teams from Germany’s second division in opposition to a license for the Red Bull project. Union Berlin supporters even wore black armbands in a show of mourning for what they perceived as a suppression of football culture. Today, Leipzig stands as a symbol of East German football’s modern era, where Red Bull’s footprint remains the most visible.
Real Madrid’s recent draw history against talented, rapidly growing opponents makes this match even more consequential. A return to the Santiago Bernabéu could prove pivotal for the Spanish giants, who have endured some difficult moments in a challenging group phase this edition and are chasing a path toward a long-awaited milestone. Ancelotti’s squad has had its share of testing moments on the road to success, and this matchup in Germany adds another chapter to a narrative built on resilience. The path to the knockout rounds is never smooth, but a strong performance on German soil could set the tone for what lies ahead on the road to glory.