Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Benzema-less Real Madrid will be aiming to overtake Shakhtar Donetsk in top position in Group F when they welcome Leipzig to their Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening. Los Blancos kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Celtic, and despite Benzema’s injury, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are seen as favourites to beat Leipzig at home as well. Lucas Vazquez is yet another absentee in the home team after limping off with injury in a 4-1 win over Mallorca.
The Red Bulls, on the other hand, did well to crush Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at the weekend, but Real Madrid will pose a much bigger threat for the Bundesliga side than their previous rivals. Both Dani Olmo and Lukas Klostermann are sidelined with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the away team. The two teams have never met before in European competitions.
Highlighted Player (Karim Benzema):
Striker Karim Benzema came through his youth club Bron Terraillon in Olympique Lyon were he went through all the youth teams.
On January 15, 2005 Benzema made his debut for the first team of Lyon that season but did not have much playing time. In the 2007-2008 season he was indeed a permanent fixture in the team and he got his break . He grew that season right into a crowd favorite and clubs like Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan showed interest in him.
Benzema in 2008 (like 2005, 2006, and 2007) was in the champions with Olympique Lyon and had no interest in leaving France. In 2008, Karim was named best French footballer.
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.