Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Actual Madrid’s Brahim Diaz shoots at objective throughout the Champions League spherical of 16 conflict towards RB Leipzig on February 13, 2024
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
After scoring Actual Madrid’s winner with a mazy solo run, Brahim Díaz jogged to the sideline and unfold his arms large open to have a good time.
He was imitating the trademark objective celebration of Jude Bellingham, the injured teammate he changed within the beginning lineup.
“Oh my god Brahim!!!,” Bellingham wrote on X, moments after the objective.
Díaz stepped up in Bellingham’s absence on Tuesday, main Madrid to a 1-0 win at Leipzig within the spherical of 16 within the Champions League.
“I actually like Jude, from the second he arrived we have been getting alongside,” Díaz mentioned.
“I am serving to him along with his Spanish, he’s a world-class expertise and we’re having fun with having him round. He is a good particular person as effectively, and I am very grateful to him.”
Bellingham, certainly one of Madrid’s greatest gamers this season after becoming a member of from Borussia Dortmund, could not play after spraining his ankle in a Spanish league recreation this weekend. The England worldwide has 20 targets in 29 video games in all competitions this season, together with 4 targets — and three assists — in 5 Champions League matches. He’s anticipated to be sidelined for 2 to 3 weeks.
The return leg can be on March 6 on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
“We aren’t proud of the consequence as a result of we had extra probabilities to attain and did not do this,” Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo mentioned.
“Brahim Díaz has plenty of high quality and seized his probability. Actual Madrid is likely one of the greatest groups in Europe. It’s important to profit from your probabilities towards opponents like that.”
Within the different Champions League recreation Tuesday, Manchester Metropolis gained 3-1 at FC Copenhagen.
Díaz mixed some nifty dribbles with a robust run to get previous three Leipzig defenders earlier than hitting the highest nook with a left-footed shot from inside the realm within the forty eighth minute.
“I noticed they had been afraid of coming after me,” he mentioned.
“I am pleased to have helped with the objective, and with with how the group labored arduous to make up for the absence of Jude and the opposite injured gamers. It confirmed that we’re nonetheless a great group, that we’re Actual Madrid.” Diaz had to get replaced with an obvious muscle damage late within the recreation. He walked off the sector with ice wrapped round his proper calf.
“I do not know what it’s, to be trustworthy,” the 24-year-old Díaz mentioned.
“I am positive tomorrow we’ll undergo some assessments.”
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti once more needed to improvise in protection, as a number of gamers remained injured. He used midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni as one of many central defenders, enjoying alongside Nacho Fernández.
Leipzig had an early objective disallowed for offside and created a lot of the probabilities all through the match, however had been denied by some good saves by Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who has been changing the injured Thibaut Courtois.
“It wasn’t straightforward,” Ancelotti mentioned.
“We had been harmful on counterattacks however Lunin performed an excellent match. He’s enjoying with plenty of confidence. We’ve got a slight benefit however there’s nonetheless loads to play for.”
Leipzig had gained the final assembly between the groups in a group-stage recreation final season.
The German membership has certified for the competitors’s knockout rounds for the fourth time in 5 seasons.
“We’ll journey to Madrid and take a look at every thing,” Leipzig coach Marco Rose mentioned.
“We need to be essentially the most tough opponent potential for Madrid in order that they actually need to stretch.”
Madrid has been within the spherical of 16 each season for the reason that format was launched in 2003-04. It has reached no less than the semifinals the final three seasons, having gained its record-extending 14th European title in 2022.
