(Football news) The Bundesliga rivals barely have an impossible time catching up to Real Madrid, who lead 1-0 after the first leg three weeks ago when they arrived at their headquarters.

After suffering an ankle injury, Jude Bellingham had to sit out the first leg of their match against Leipzig. His lieutenant Brahim Diaz, however, thrilled the Red Bull Arena with a brilliant solo performance, deftly manoeuvring around Leipzig’s legs and putting the ball in the top corner.

Despite the fact that Real Madrid gave up multiple opportunities to their attack-oriented opponents, most of which were scored by Benjamin Sesko, Roten Bullen wastefulness, desperate defence, and Andriy Lunin heroics ensured that Los Blancos would only narrowly win and go home. 

In the three weeks that have followed, however, Real Madrid have only won one of their subsequent three La Liga matches, playing out a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano and edging past Sevilla 1-0 before refereeing controversy reared its ugly head in Saturday’s tie with Valencia, where Los Blancos came from 2-0 down to rescue a point.

Bellingham thought that he had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Real Madrid with a last-gasp header, but Gil Manzano’s whistle had blown just as Diaz sent his cross into the box, leading to almighty Blancos protests at the full-time whistle in which Bellingham saw red for something he said towards the referee.

Reeling from that “unprecedented” decision, albeit still seven points clear of Girona at the summit of the La Liga standings, Real Madrid now seek to avoid just a second exit from 21 Champions League ties in which they have won the first leg; their only previous such elimination came versus Ajax in the 2018-19 last 16.

That time, Erik ten Hag’s team overcame a one-goal lead at home to win a thrilling 4-1 at Bernabeu. Now, RB Leipzig have to follow in the footsteps of their Eredivisie counterparts if they want to extend their Champions League run at the expense of the most successful team in the competition.

Die Roten Bullen easily took advantage of their opportunities in a 4-1 Bundesliga thumping of VfL Bochum over the weekend. Marco Rose’s team could have, and likely should have, found a way past the Blancos defence at the Red Bull Arena on February 13. However, their chances were thwarted by a lackluster clinical edge.

Also read: Manchester City will play Copenhagen in UCL