Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Leipzig
Match Time & Date:
13/02/2024
21:00
Prediction: 1-2
Real Madrid
All eyes will be on Red Bull Arena when Leipzig and Real Madrid lock horns in the Champions League last 16, first leg. The Red Bulls do not seem to be at their sharpest, with the team winning only one of their last six league matches and, no doubt, they face an uphill task against Carlo Ancelotti’s troops. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be summer signing Lois Openda, who found the net in a 2-2 draw with Augsburg, while Amadou Haidara remains in the recovery room.
Los Blancos, on the other hand, are on the right track to win the La Liga trophy. The Spanish giants rolled over Girona 4-0 in their last league match and given Leipzig’s anything but good form, we believe that there is a big value in betting on the away team. Keep in mind, though, that important midfielder Jude Bellingham has joined the likes of David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois, and Eder Militao in the recovery room. Antonio Rudiger is a major doubt.
Highlighted Player (Toni Kroos):
Toni Kroos is a Real Madrid midfielder who started playing for Bayern Munich II at senior level. He made 13 appearances for the reserve team and on 31 January, 2009 he joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan. He made his Bayer debut on 28 February, 2009, coming as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to Hannover.
The German midfielder scored ten goals in 43 league appearances with the BayArena outfit and in the summer of 2010 he returned to Bayern Munich. Kroos won three Bundesliga trophies with the mighty Bavarian giants (2007/2008, 2012/2013, 2013/2014) and in 2013 he was part of Bayern Munich’s team that won the Champions League trophy.
In 2014, though, he decided to leave the club and the German superstar joined Real Madrid on a six-year-contract. Kroos won the 2015/2016 Champions League trophy with los Blancos and it has to be noted that he produced a thrilling performance in the title game against Atletico Madrid. In 2014 he clinched the FIFA World Cup trophy with Germany.
Highlighted Team (Leipzig):
Leipzig are a professional football club founded in 2009. Die Bullen (The Bulls) were unbeaten in the 2012/2013 Regionalliga Nordost and, as a result, they secured promotion to the 3. Liga. After finishing the 2013/2014 as 3rd. Liga campaign in second place in the standings, Leipzig were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga and they competed in the German second tier for two seasons.
Despite suffering a loss to Karlsruher on the last day of the 2015/2016 round in the 2. Bundesliga campaign, die Bullen secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time ever. Leipzig play their home games at Red Bull Arena (42,959) and it has to be noted that the stadium was opened in 1954.
Die Bullen wear white shirts and red shorts while their away kit is blue and yellow. Ralph Hasenhuttl was appointed as the team’s manager at the end of the 2015/2016 season and you should know that the likes of Ralf Rangnick, Achim Beierlorzer, Alexander Zorniger, Peter Pacult, Tomas Oral and Tino Vogel were in charge of the team in the past as well.
