Champions League: Red Bull Need A Result Against The Might Of Madrid

RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid

Red Bull Leipzig’s Champions League campaign is in the balance and, on Tuesday, they have a mammoth test which could mean make or break.

Real Madrid are the visitors to the Red Bull Arena and, with ten points, Los Blancos are leading Group F and almost through to the knockout phase. With a four point gap to second placed Leipzig, the Spaniards need just a point to go through. Meanwhile the Bundesliga outfit are under serious pressure from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainians breathing down their necks on five points and with a tie against Group F whipping boys Celtic this week.

Red Bull travel for a match away to Donetsk for the final round on November 2^nd and their destiny will still be in their hands, but if they can somehow match Shakhtar’s result this week then Marco Rose’s side will be in the box seat. That is easier said than done though. The Champions League 2022 betting odds back Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid at a price of 13.00 here at SBOTOP to win the 2022/23 competition.

Los Blancos are in superb form and come into the game on the back of a 3-1 win over Sevilla, a result which took them six points clear at the top of La Liga, while Red Bull played out an entertaining 3-3 draw away to Augsburg.

Talking Points

Silva and Nkunku can test the Real defence

With 56 per cent possession, 17 shots to seven and eight to three on target Leipzig did enough to beat Augsburg on Saturday, but a single point left them down in eighth place in the Bundesliga and seven points behind leaders Union Berlin who had a game in hand. Andre Silva and Christopher Nkunku both scored in the draw with Augsburg and they are Red Bull’s best chances of opening up the Madrid defence.  

Portuguese striker Silva has been Red Bull’s most productive player in Europe, with two goals and two assists in Group F; while Nkunku was the breakout star of the Bundesliga last term and he has been courted by many of Europe’s top clubs. A skilful dribbler with plenty of pace the France striker has scored 35 goals for Leipzig in 105 appearances, including eight already this season.    

Leipzig’s early Champions League 2022 results were pretty disastrous; they opened with a 4-1 drubbing at home to Shakhtar and followed that up with a limp display in a 2-0 defeat in Madrid. But six points from two games against Celtic has put the Germans back in the thick of the action and recent form has been good, so if Silva and Nkunku are on their games on Tuesday the Red Bull Arena will be rocking.

Los Blancos are clicking through the gears

There are few teams in better form than Ancelotti’s team at the moment and as they still need a point to ensure progression they will be a tough team to face on Tuesday.

Real Madrid’s draw away to Shakhtar delayed their progress through to the knockout phase but presumably not for long. The two points dropped were the first of their European campaign and they are going just as well in Spain.

Real Madrid’s El Clasico win put them in control of the La Liga race and they moved well clear of Barcelona with their win over Sevilla. And while Red Bull have a couple of dangerous players in top form, Los Blancos have a handful and that makes them a superb team to watch. Karim Benzema’s Ballon D’Or win was a just reward for his record breaking season last year, while the young Brazilian pair of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are both capable of winning a game with a touch of brilliance and they are becoming more consistent by the week.

Attacking midfielder Federico Valverde has really stepped up this term and has joined the party, his strike against Sevilla making it six goals for the season.    

History

As a recent arrival among Europe’s elite Red Bull won their first major trophy last season, bagging the DFB Pokal Cup with a win over SC Freiburg, but they have been regular competitors in Europe as Champions League semi-finalists in 2020. Real Madrid’s 35 La Liga titles and 14 European crowns pretty much eclipse the German’s achievements but Los Blancos have been around the top for much longer, first winning the European Cup in 1956.  

This is the second meeting between Leipzig and Real Madrid after Los Blancos won the Bernabeu leg in September as Valverde and Marco Asensio scored late goals.

Both teams are in a good place at the moment, with unbeaten runs of seven (Leipzig) and 18 (Madrid) with Los Blancos winning five of the last six while Die Roten Bullen have won four over that period.  

Betting Tip

The hosts are at 2.90 to win with Los Blancos at 2.32 and the Draw is at 3.11; and while I think a draw would be a decent result for the hosts they are sure to go for the Spaniards who will also get at the German defence when they get an opening. It all adds up to goals for me… and a pulsating 90 minutes.

 

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