RB LEIPZIG will be hoping a glamour last-16 clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League can spark their season back to life after a slump in form that has seen them fall down the Bundesliga table.
Marco Rose's side eased into the knockout stages by beating Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade home and away, while also running European champions Manchester City close in two narrow defeats.
That has earned them a crack at the Bernabeu giants but RB Leipzig aren't in great shape heading back into European action, with just one win in their last six matches leaving them fifth in Germany's top flight.
After a run of four games without a win, things have picked up a little of late, with Rose's side beating Union Berlin at home before drawing on the road at Augsburg on Saturday.
But they still look ill-equipped to deal with a rampant Real Madrid side whose only two defeats all season have come against city rivals Atletico.
Saturday's 4-0 battering of Girona sent Carlo Ancelotti's side five points clear in La Liga and they didn't put a foot wrong in the Champions League group stage, winning every game against Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin.
They look set to be without star man Jude Bellingham for this trip to Leipzig, with the English playmaker picking up an injury after scoring twice at the weekend. But he's far from the only weapon at Ancelotti's disposal and it would be a surprise if RB Leipzig knocked the Spanish giants out.
How the bookies view it
With RB Leipzig in such poor form, Real Madrid look good value for a first-leg win at 6/5 with Paddy Power. The price is much shorter for the Spanish giants to qualify at a best 1/3 with 888Sport.
The Bundesliga side are 5/2 at 888Sport to reach the quarter-finals and 21/10 at Bet365 for a win on home soil. The first-leg draw pays 13/5 with most firms.
Head to head
These sides have faced off just once before in Europe and the memory is still fresh. It came in the Champions League group stage last season with Real Madrid winning 2-0 in Spain before RB Leipzig got their revenge at home with a thrilling 3-2 triumph.
Players to watch
RB Leipzig will be pinning their hopes on Lois Openda, with the Belgian already on 19 goals for the season. He missed a costly penalty in Augsburg on Saturday but still scored and has netted five times in his last six games. Openda is 13/8 for anytime scorer in this huge Euro clash.
Vinicius Junior is in good form for Real Madrid with the winger scoring six times across his last six games. He should get chances against a leaky RB Leipzig defence and is a tempting 15/8 at Bet365 for anytime scorer. He's also looks overpriced for an assist at 4/1 with SkyBet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Real Madrid took a bit of time to warm up in the group stage, with Bellingham waiting until stoppage time to score the only goal in their opener at home to Union Berlin as I salvaged something with a corners bet.
But they scored 15 times in the rest of the group and we should see a thriller when they face an RB Leipzig side who failed to keep a single clean sheet in their section. Combining BTTS and over 2.5 goals doesn't quite get you above evens at 20/23 with BoyleSports but over 1.5 first-half goals pays 6/4 with Bet365.
I love a good stats bet and there's a few that catch the eye here. The Germans aren't the kind of team to sit back and that makes over 3.5 match offsides worth a look at 11/10 with SkyBet. Brahim Diaz is likely to deputise for Bellingham if the Englishman misses out and Diaz is 7/5 with Unibet just to have a shot on target.
Aurelien Tchouameni has been good value for cards this season, with the Frenchman picking up eight yellows. He's 11/4 with Bet365 to go in the book here and 6/4 with SkyBet to commit over 1.5 fouls
This UEFA Champions League match between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid will be played on Feb 13, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
