Three days after dismantling Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga, Real Madrid carry genuine confidence into Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture against RB Leipzig. José Mourinho’s side have won their first two UCL outings and are looking sharper going forward with each passing week. At the center of that attacking output is Kylian Mbappé, who arrives at this fixture on the back of a strong run of form and will face a Leipzig defense that just conceded six goals to Bayern München on Saturday. The backdrop could hardly be more favorable for the Frenchman to impose himself on the tie.
Mbappé’s recent form
Mbappé is listed in Madrid’s squad and is expected to start under Mourinho, whose system has consistently looked to funnel the ball through his front three at pace. The 4-1 win over Sevilla last weekend offered another reminder of how dangerous Madrid can be when they get Mbappé running into space in the final third, and the UCL visit of AS Roma on October 14, a 4-3 win away from home, showed this side can produce the same intensity on the European stage.
Within Madrid’s current setup, Mbappé benefits from Vinícius Júnior stretching defenses on the opposite flank, which regularly opens half-spaces for the former PSG man to exploit centrally or cut inside. With Bernardo Silva also in the squad to supply between the lines, the supply chain looks reliable. Leipzig will need to be organized from the first whistle to limit his influence.
The tactical matchup
RB Leipzig’s back line, built around Willi Orbán and Castello Lukeba, faces a stern test after shipping six against Bayern München last Saturday in the Bundesliga. That result exposed real defensive fragility, particularly in transition, where Leipzig were repeatedly caught with too much space behind a high defensive line. Mbappé’s acceleration over the first five to ten yards is precisely the weapon that punishes that kind of vulnerability.
David Raum operating as a left back or wing-back will likely be the man tasked with tracking Mbappé on his preferred right channel. Raum is attack-minded by nature, which creates a natural tension: if he pushes high, Mbappé can spring in behind; if he stays conservative, Madrid overload through other routes. Martín Demichelis will need a clear defensive plan, but after a 6-1 defeat there are open questions about whether Leipzig can execute one.
What’s at stake for him
For Mbappé, the Champions League remains the competition where individual legacy is built, and Real Madrid purchased him with exactly that ambition in mind. He has two UCL victories from two outings with the club this season, including that dramatic 4-3 win in Rome, and a strong performance at home against Leipzig would reinforce his standing as one of the competition’s most dangerous attackers at this stage. Leipzig’s recent collapse in Munich shows a side low on confidence and still organizing defensively, which gives Madrid’s attackers a real opportunity to pile up a convincing scoreline.
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Our Prediction
Real Madrid enter this game on a run of three consecutive wins and with Mbappé operating in a system that consistently produces goals. Leipzig, stung badly by Bayern and yet to show defensive solidity at this level, look vulnerable on the counter-press and in transition behind their defensive line. Expect Mbappé to find space early and to test Nyland or Vandevoordt more than once. Madrid win, and the Frenchman is in the thick of it.