Real Madrid host RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, 21 October, in the third matchday of the 2026-27 Champions League league phase, with kick-off at 21:00 Madrid time. The match is a test of the 15-time European champions' form before a Clásico at Camp Nou four days later. The side arrives after a 4-3 win over AS Roma in the previous round, a result Mourinho recalled at his press conference. Mourinho said the immediate aim is to secure qualification, with avoiding the playoff as the next target, and that many more points would be needed to do so. Real have won 17, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their 21 matches in 2026, with the only defeats coming against Bayern Munich and Getafe. After two matchdays Real sit eighth with six points, while Leipzig are 21st with three.
Data from the article text
Mourinho confirmed that Vinícius Júnior will start on the left of the attack after serving a suspension in LaLiga. Reports differ on how many games the ban covers, with one account citing the next three LaLiga matches and another citing four games in Spain. Yan Diomandé, who can play on either side, is returning to his former club, and Mourinho said the Ivorian did not yet know whether he would play. Asked about the battle for the left side, Mourinho said that no player is beyond challenge and that status does not decide the matter.
“The club crest is untouchable. What makes players untouchable is not the armband, the status or the years, but their level on the pitch.”
Mourinho also said that starting Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler together in Rome would have meant conceding five goals, because the side lacked the capacity to cope with that. He argued that Güler can play in several positions and that the midfield balance depends on the situation.
The Romanian referee István Kovács will take charge, assisted by two assistant referees and a fourth official who is his brother. Mourinho said he was pleased to have a referee of Kovács's calibre for a match of this importance, and that VAR was unlikely to play an important role. Kovács has refereed two European matches this season: FK Bodø/Glimt against Union Saint-Gilloise (3-2) in the third qualifying round, and Sabah against Hapoel Beer-Sheva (5-2 after extra time) in the play-off. The praise follows a period of frustration with refereeing in LaLiga, which peaked after a 1-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid several weeks earlier.
Real Madrid are the unbeaten league leaders heading into the Clásico against FC Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, 25 October. The league title is at stake in that match, and a defeat in Barcelona would leave the side badly damaged early in the season. Real beat Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday, 18 October, with a brace from Kylian Mbappé and goals from Arda Güler and Yan Diomandé. Mourinho's squad therefore faces Leipzig first, with the Clásico four days after kick-off.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarFootball · Madrid, Leipzig, and Barcelona
Real Madrid host RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu on 21 October at 21:00 Madrid time, with Vinícius Júnior back on the left and a Clásico at Camp Nou four days later.
AI text based on reports by Stirile ProTV, SAPO, Notícias ao Minuto and other publishers. Published .