6 min

Madrid thump Leipzig 4-1 to stay perfect in Europe before the Clásico

Sifat Jasim

Thu, Oct 22, 2026

Madrid thump Leipzig 4-1 to stay perfect in Europe before the Clásico

Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande scored as Madrid made it three Champions League wins from three. Sunday's Clásico in Barcelona is next.

Three games, three wins. Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Bernabéu on Wednesday and kept a perfect Champions League record. The first half was tight and grey, but the second was a different story. It was the ideal boost ahead of Sunday's Clásico.

How the goals came

Bernardo Silva opened the scoring from close range in the 44th minute. It was his first goal in a Madrid shirt, and Mourinho celebrated it on the touchline in his own unusual way.
Arda Güler made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute, finishing off an effort from Mbappé that the club counted as an assist.
Kylian Mbappé got his own goal with a fine right-footed finish and was named the club's man of the match.
Yan Diomande came on in the 70th minute for Vinicius and closed the night against his former club. He set up a goal and then scored a stunning volley, which some are already calling the goal of the matchday. His explanation was simple: one touch and boom.

The win also set a club record, according to the club: 45 consecutive home Champions League matches with a goal. Madrid controlled the ball throughout. Federico Valverde had a match-high 116 touches, and Jude Bellingham's passing created the most threat of anyone on the pitch.

Courtois kept the door shut

Before the breakthrough, Thibaut Courtois made two important saves with the score still 0-0. Even Leipzig coach Martín Demichelis singled out his authority. Courtois said the team improved with more intensity after the break. Looking ahead to Barcelona, he added that Madrid need to close the gap on them.

Mourinho: happy, but not satisfied

José Mourinho praised his players and said they give him confidence through their daily work. He was also honest that, around 105 days into the job, the team is not yet where he wants it to be, especially defensively. He already has the Clásico on his mind and pointed out that Madrid will have 24 hours less rest than Barcelona.

Demichelis was generous in defeat. He said Madrid will be among the favourites for both LaLiga and the Champions League, and that their individual quality decided the game.

The Vinicius question

Vinicius returned to the starting XI but had a quiet night. He had a couple of decent shots in the first half before being replaced on 70 minutes. Afterwards he posted a calm "everything passes" message on social media. Mbappé said it is fine for Vini to feel down because it shows how much he wants to give the team. Mourinho said only Vinicius can say whether he is sad, but that his coach is happy.

Voices from the dressing room

Mbappé: every point matters in the push for the top eight.
Arda Güler: Real Madrid must try to win every match.
Dean Huijsen: the squad has several players in very good form.
Bernardo Silva: finding the balance between controlling a game and not being boring is hard.

Eyes on the Clásico

Europe is going perfectly, but the league picture is tougher. Madrid travel to Barcelona on Sunday needing a win so Barça cannot pull nine points clear this early in the season. In the stands, the south end unfurled a banner, including a message in English, insisting the Negreira case must not go unpunished.

Elsewhere at the club

The Youth League side, the reigning champions, went top of their table after a third straight win. Enzo Alves, Marcelo's son, scored his first goal in the competition against Leipzig.
The club announced that Mbappé has received the Onze d'Or award as the best player of the 2025-26 season.
Supporters' club La Saeta celebrated its 50th anniversary with a tribute to Florentino Pérez.

Sources

Sifat Jasim

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