Jude Bellingham's availability for tonight's match offers a significant advantage to Carlo Ancelotti, as he was sidelined in the previous fixture due to injury. This is especially crucial for Real Madrid following their challenging encounter against Leipzig last month. Notably, Real Madrid's history shows that the last time they failed to advance after winning the first leg was against Ajax five years ago.
Meanwhile, Leipzig has strategically rested key players over the weekend to ensure peak performance for this decisive second-leg encounter. Can they create an upset at the Bernabeu?
Their promising performance in the first leg suggests it's a possibility, and unexpected outcomes are not uncommon in football. Follow our dedicated match blog for live updates.
In the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid has reached the quarter-finals in 12 out of the last 14 seasons, with eliminations only occurring in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, both at the last 16 stage.
RB Leipzig's recent track record in the UEFA Champions League last 16 ties hasn't been favorable, with eliminations by Liverpool in 2020-21, Manchester City in 2022-23, and Real Madrid this season.
Jude Bellingham, at 20 years and 251 days, became the third-youngest player to either score or assist a goal in six consecutive UEFA Champions League appearances, behind Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
Bellingham also became the first English player since Steven Gerrard in 2007-08 to achieve both 4+ goals and 4+ assists in a single UEFA Champions League campaign. RB Leipzig attempted 20 shots against Real Madrid in the previous encounter, marking their highest tally in a single UEFA Champions League knockout game.
Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid has been directly involved in 27 goals in his last 27 UEFA Champions League starts, with 14 goals and 13 assists. Willi Orbán scored his second goal in 30 UEFA Champions League appearances for RB Leipzig, his first since October 2017 against FC Porto.
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