RB Leipzig and Real Madrid take to the field this Tuesday (13), at the RB Arena stadium, in Leipzig (Germany), to play the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League. The German club finished the group stage in 2nd place in Group G, with 12 points, while the Spanish led Group C, with 18 points.
RB Leipzig don’t play dumb
Coach Marco Rose, from RB Leipzig, saw it up close and knows he cannot hesitate with Jude Bellingham. He already worked with the talented midfielder for a season at Borussia Dortmund, now, having to face the young man in a decisive game, he knows that the player will not want to be left out so easily.
“I won’t believe he’s out until he’s at the stadium tomorrow. I know Jude, he will do everything possible to compete in the Champions League. He may have consulted other doctors, I don’t know, I read a lot. We’ll see if it’s there or not. I think he came to the right team and we were surprised by his performance”, said Marco Rose.
Clearly, for the German team, just not having to face Bellingham is already a huge boost. The young player has participated in 29 matches, scoring 20 goals and providing assists so far. But Rose also seemed to not only know his former manager, but rather all of Real Madrid in question. Therefore, he knows that Carlo Ancelotti has a large repertoire to change the game with the pieces available.
It’s not just Bellingham that the Bulls should keep an eye on. Brazilian Vinicius Júnior is experiencing a magical moment this season. In the decisive La Liga game last weekend, he did what he wanted on the left wing: a goal, an assist and the finish that resulted in the third. A show by shirt 7, which is also observed by Marco Rose
Also, it’s not just Ancelotti who will have headaches putting together the team. Rose doesn’t know if Amadou Haidara will play. An absolute starter since December, the good Malian midfielder was out for the entire month of January, plus the beginning of February, due to the African Cup of Nations.
It is also worth mentioning Leizpig’s poor form on the eve of facing the Spanish giant. In 2024, the only victory came just over a week ago, with a 2-0 over the fragile Union Berlin.
Accident before the duel
? MÁS CLASE QUE EN UN COLEGIO.#RealMadridxZegna | @Zegna pic.twitter.com/CfVhA0aduV
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) February 12, 2024
As if the headaches of putting together a competitive team with so many absences weren’t enough, Real Madrid had another scare before the clash against RB Leipzig. It is not common to take part of the route by bus, but it was the solution to a strike at airports in the state of Sajonia (eastern Germany).
The information was first published by the German newspaper “Bild”. In the accident, a car approached the bus to film it, but the driver lost the steering wheel when changing lanes, and the car ended up crashing into the vehicle carrying the Merengues delegation.
From what we know so far, no one was injured. This is good news for the Merengues, who already have an extensive list of players in the club’s medical department.
Probable XI
RB Leipzig:
Gulácsi; Henrichs, Klostermann, Orban and Raum; Kample, Schlager, Xavi Simmons; Opens in Sesco.
Coach: Marco Rose.
Real Madrid:
Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho Fernandez and Camavinga; Tchouameni, Valverde and Modric; Brahim Díaz, Rodrygo and Vini Jr.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti.
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