Dazzling Diaz goal helps Real Madrid to narrow first-leg win at RB Leipzig
In a goalless first half, the hosts did have the ball in the back of the net after less than two minutes, only to see the strike controversially ruled out. The whistle blew after Benjamin Sesko turned Xaver Schlager’s effort past Andriy Lunin, and while the initial suspicion was that the Slovenian was offside, the decision may well have been made because of a nudge from Benjamin Henrichs on Los Blancos’ goalkeeper.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were missing the talismanic Jude Bellingham after picking up an ankle injury in the weekend win over Girona, and they struggled creatively without him. Henrichs, who had already denied his own side a goal, returned the favour at the other end as he cleared Aurelien Tchouameni's header off his own line just before the 10-minute mark.
Leipzig were the better side however, and Sesko himself could’ve netted a hat-trick before the quarter-hour mark as, after his disallowed effort, he was played in by Xavi Simons and then Dani Olmo only to be denied by Lunin on both occasions.
Marco Rose’s men were the far more dangerous outfit before the break, but their wastefulness came back to haunt them soon after the restart.
Brahim Diaz was the man drafted in to replace Bellingham, but he had no issue shouldering that responsibility as he broke the deadlock with a stunning solo effort, picking the ball up on the right and slaloming his way through no fewer than four Leipzig defenders before curling a left-footed effort past Péter Gulácsi from the edge of the box.
The Spaniard’s strike was proving a sole piece of magic in an otherwise attritional contest. Los Blancos did break rapidly beyond the hour mark, but just as Rodrygo was about to pull the trigger, Schlager came to the rescue with a perfectly timed sliding challenge.
The visitors continued to push for a second goal and were a post’s width away from doing so as Diaz turned provider for Vinicius Junior, but the Brazilian’s effort rolled agonisingly against the foot of the upright.
The hosts pushed for a late leveller to even the tie but found Lunin in inspired form. He denied Sesko yet again from a narrow angle before producing a flying stop from Amadou Haidara’s dipping volley to ensure the La Liga table-toppers take a narrow lead back to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)