Real Madrid and RB Leipzig meet on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid for matchday three of the UEFA Champions League league phase, according to UEFA.com and beIN Sports. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 local time in Madrid, equivalent to 20:00 GMT and 3:00 p.m. ET, beIN Sports reported. Romanian official István Kovács has been appointed to referee the match, the same source said.
Standings after two matchdays
Both clubs are competing in the Champions League's 36-team league phase, in which every club plays eight different opponents before the top eight sides advance automatically to the round of 16 and the next sixteen enter a play-off round. Data published by Sofascore shows Real Madrid in 8th place with six points from two games, while RB Leipzig sit 21st with three points.
Champions League campaign so far (matchdays 1-2)| Team | Matchday 1 | Matchday 2 | Points | League-phase position |
|---|
| Real Madrid | 2-1 win vs Inter Milan (Sep 8) | 4-3 win at Roma | 6 | 8th |
|---|
| RB Leipzig | Opening defeat | 1-0 win vs PSV Eindhoven | 3 | 21st |
|---|
Real Madrid opened their European campaign with a 2-1 home win over Inter Milan on September 8, with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde, according to ESPN's match report. On matchday two, Real Madrid trailed 3-1 away at Roma before winning 4-3, a result beIN Sports and Goal.com described as a comeback. RB Leipzig's matchday two outcome was a 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven after an opening defeat, beIN Sports reported.
Recent domestic form
Away from Europe, Real Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga at the weekend, with two goals from Mbappé and further goals from Arda Güler and Yan Diomande, according to Goal.com. RB Leipzig suffered a 6-1 defeat away to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, according to Goal.com.
Team news and lineups
Real Madrid are without Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio, Goal.com reported. RB Leipzig are missing Guiu and Ouédraogo, the same source said.
Confirmed starting line-ups published by UEFA.com and Goal.com had Real Madrid lining up with Thibaut Courtois in goal; Federico Valverde, Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rüdiger and Álvaro Carreras in defence; Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham in midfield; and Arda Güler, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé in attack. RB Leipzig's listed line-up was Maarten Vandevoordt in goal; Baku, Willi Orbán, Castello Lukeba and David Raum in defence; Kevin Seiwald and Ismael El Aynaoui in midfield; and Fisnik Gruda, Christopher Nkunku, Antonio Nusa and Cardoso in attack.
Head-to-head
Sofascore data shows Real Madrid have won two of the four previous meetings between the clubs, Leipzig have won one and one match ended in a draw. The two sides' most recent encounter finished 1-1, according to the same source.
Questions
- When and where is Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig being played?
- The match kicks off on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, with kick-off around 21:00 local time (3:00 p.m. ET), according to UEFA.com and beIN Sports.
- What matchday of the Champions League is this?
- It is matchday three of the 2026-27 Champions League league phase, in which all 36 clubs play in a single table before the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16, per UEFA.com.
- Where do Real Madrid and RB Leipzig stand in the Champions League table?
- Before kick-off, Real Madrid were 8th with six points from two games and RB Leipzig were 21st with three points, according to Sofascore.
- Who is missing for each team?
- Real Madrid are without Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio, while RB Leipzig are missing Guiu and Ouédraogo, Goal.com reported.
- Who is refereeing the match?
- Romanian referee István Kovács was appointed for the fixture, according to beIN Sports.
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