Leipzig at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid face RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, 21 October, 21:00 CEST, in Champions League matchday 3 (1) (2). Kylian Mbappé is the name to watch. He scored twice in the 4–1 win over Sevilla on Sunday, 18 October, and Spanish previews single him out as the player who can tip the game Madrid's way (1).
Mundo Deportivo called it what it is: "Un ensayo amable antes del Clásico", a friendly dress rehearsal before the Clásico (2). You still want three points from it.
Four meetings with Leipzig, nothing decided
You have played Leipzig four times in the Champions League: twice in the 2022/23 group stage and twice in the 2023/24 round of 16 (1). No scoreline from those games is worth guessing at. The record exists, and Madrid are still standing.
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Barcelona lost 2–4 to PSG
Barcelona 2–4 Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, and their eleven-match winning run is gone (3). Désire Doué, Lucas Hernandez, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz were among the names in it, with Lamine Yamal scoring but also making the error that led to a PSG goal (3).
Hansi Flick did not panic: "Im Oktober gewinnst du keine Titel, aber es zeigt uns, wie weit wir sind" (3). You host Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday, 25 October, 21:00 CET.
Atlético drew 1–1 in Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart 1–1 Atlético Madrid, with Julián Álvarez and Deniz Undav on the scoresheet and Hjulmand sent off (3). Undav was blunt afterwards: "Das verfolgt uns etwas, dass wir aus den Chancen fast gar nichts machen" (3).
Madrid sit third in La Liga on 21 points from nine games, +14 goal difference, with W L W W W in the last five.
Dortmund are 3 from 3
Sabah FK 1–2 Borussia Dortmund, Serhou Guirassy scoring, and Niko Kovac called it "ein richtig gutes Spiel" (3). Three wins from three in the league phase. That is the benchmark Madrid are chasing in the table.
What happened at the Camp Nou in May
Barcelona beat Real Madrid at the Spotify Camp Nou on 10 May 2026 to clinch the LaLiga title under Hansi Flick (3). That is the Clásico you carry into Sunday, 25 October, 21:00 CET at Barcelona.
Fan reactions
The mood on r/realmadrid is split between Saturday's Clásico and Wednesday's European night. One thread is a long argument about how much La Fábrica should be used, another is a straight-up celebration of Barcelona's 2–4 defeat to PSG, logged as a successful hatewatch. Several fans are also asking where they can actually watch full matches, since replays seem to vanish after a week. The youth academy thread has the most traction.
