UCL Preview: Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig Odds
Defending Champs Host Leipzig for First Time Ever
Marco Rose Era Begins at Leipzig
RB Leipzig’s Champions League campaign got off to a disastrous start last week. They lost 4-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk at home, which got coach Domenico Tedesco fired. Leipzig defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in new coach Marco Rose’s first game and heads to Spain to face Real Madrid on Wednesday. The defending UCL winners Real got off to a winning start at Celtic and are still perfect in La Liga. We’ll take a look at the Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig odds and preview the match.
Champions League – Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig Game Info:
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
- Date & Time:
- TV: Paramount+, VIX+
Head-to-Head
This will be the first-ever meeting between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid. Leipzig are without a point in the Champions League standings after losing 4-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk in their opener. Real Madrid defeated Celtic 3-0 last week to secure all three points.
Real Missing Benzema
- Last Match: 4-1 W vs. Mallorca
- Injuries and Suspensions: D Eder Militao (Out), F Karim Benzema (Out)
Real Madrid is off to a perfect start in 2022-23, with seven wins in seven matches in all competitions. That streak will be at risk in the upcoming weeks with Ballon D’or favorite Karim Benzema sidelined. Benzema’s knee injury, which he suffered in last week’s 3-0 win over Celtic, should keep him out until at least October.
Things weren’t so straightforward in Real’s first full match without Benzema. Los Blancos fell behind 1-0 to Mallorca and didn’t manage to go ahead until the 72nd minute. Two late goals gave Real Madrid a 4-1 win but Benzema was certainly missed.
Eden Hazard has played up front in Benzema’s absence and it’s been an opportunity for him to revive his career. Injuries have derailed the former Chelsea star’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu and he hasn’t been close to his best. However, he did score the third goal in Real’s win over Celtic. Vinicius Jr. has scored in his last five matches and is picking up where he left off last season. Without Benzema, the Real Madrid odds stand at -150 to score two or fewer goals vs. Leipzig on Monday.
Consistency a Big Issue for Leipzig
- Last Match: 3-0 W vs. Borussia Dortmund
- Injuries and Suspensions: D Lukas Klostermann (Out), M Dani Olmo (Out)
RB Leipzig bottomed out with a 4-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt and a subsequent 4-1 UCL defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk. Now, they’re on their third coach in the span of just a year. The hope is that Marco Rose can stabilize their form and continue to develop their young players. So far, so good as Leipzig picked up a huge 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
They’re still just tenth in the Bundesliga but are just four points outside of the top four. Certainly not short on talent, consistency has been a big issue for RB. This match will be a real test for them but the Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig odds imply they’ll score. They’re priced at -200 odds to get a goal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku is the main danger man for Leipzig. Real Madrid will be preoccupied with stopping him but Timo Werner’s return gives Leipzig another dimension. Add Emil Forsberg and Dominik Szoboszlai into the mix and Leipzig is downright dangerous.
Odds & Preview
With -250 odds to win, Real Madrid is implied to have around a 70 percent chance of victory. Benzema’s absence is a big one, though. He won both the La Liga and Champions League golden boot last season and he’s a workhorse up front. Eden Hazard is not exactly an out-and-out striker and is just a stopgap solution.
The Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig odds price the visitors as +550 underdogs to defeat Real Madrid. These teams have no head-to-head history and Leipzig have a new head coach. So, it’s not inconceivable that they can catch Real Madrid off guard here. A draw currently stands at +410 odds for Wednesday’s match.
It’s interesting that over three goals total is priced at -140 odds in Benzema’s absence. Still, Real Madrid managed to put four goals on Mallorca on Sunday and Leipzig scored three vs. Dortmund. Madrid are also -150 favorites to cover the one-goal spread. Given their winning streak to open the season, it’s not exactly a surprise. Still, this should be a captivating match with a lot of unknowns.
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