Real Madrid made it three wins from three in the Champions League league phase by beating RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, according to Goal.com. Kylian Mbappe set up one goal and scored another, while substitute Yan Diomande closed the scoring with a late volley. The result leaves Jose Mourinho's side on nine points.
Goal.com reports that Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, reacting first to a rebound for his first goal for the club. Arda Guler doubled the lead in the 52nd, turning in a headed pass from Mbappe, and the French forward curled in a third in the 83rd minute. Tidiam Gomis pulled one back for the visitors before Diomande struck in the 87th.
Why it matters
The win keeps Madrid among the early leaders of the competition's new league phase, where every point counts toward finishing in the top eight. Mbappe, named man of the match by Real Madrid's official website, said afterwards that "every point is important to make it into the top 8," per the club. Goal.com's ratings also credited the team with outperforming its expected goals figure of 2.91 through individual quality, a sign of how clinical the hosts were in the second half.
A slow burn that turned into a rout
For long stretches the game was less one-sided than the final score suggests. Goal.com describes a tactical contest that only opened up after the interval, when Madrid began finding space between Leipzig's midfield and defence and created better chances. Madrid held 64 percent of the ball, and the report credits Aurelien Tchouameni's work in midfield with helping the side recover possession and start attacks.
Jude Bellingham played a central part in the second goal, lifting a measured pass to Mbappe, who headed it across for Guler to finish. Guler, according to Goal.com, troubled Leipzig throughout with his passing in the final third before being withdrawn in the 78th minute. Mbappe finished with 10 shots, two of them on target, and his curled effort in the 83rd minute was described as the mark of a decisive player at this level.
At the back, Dean Huijsen completed 97 of 102 passes, the report says, serving as Madrid's main route out of defence under Leipzig's early pressure. Federico Valverde, playing a hybrid right-back role, recorded a team-high 12 defensive actions, including four tackles. Goal.com notes that Antonio Rudiger marshalled the back line well in the air but was sometimes pulled out of position by Christopher Nkunku's movement, and that the defence was disappointed to lose the clean sheet late on.
Madrid's goalkeeper was rarely busy but made five saves, including stops from Romulo and Nkunku in the first half, and could do little about Gomis' powerful consolation goal. Vinicius Junior had a quieter evening by his standards, seeing an effort blocked in the 29th minute before being replaced on 70 minutes as Mourinho looked to refresh his side.
Diomande makes the difference off the bench
The defining moment came from the bench. Diomande, who had already assisted Mbappe's goal, met the ball with a volley into the top corner in the 87th minute, a finish Goal.com calls world-class and one that justified his price tag. The report credits Mourinho's substitutions, and his decision to let his team dominate possession and wait for Leipzig to tire, with producing the second-half surge.
What to watch next
Madrid will look to protect their perfect record in the next round of league-phase fixtures, while Leipzig must regroup after a second-half collapse on the road.
