Real Madrid's need for Kylian Mbappé on show against Leipzig

According to Burley, Real Madrid requires more players to increase their chances of winning the Champions League.

Craig Burley responds to Real Madrid narrowly securing a 2-1 overall triumph against RB Leipzig, enabling them to progress in the Champions League. (1:27)

On March 6, 2024, at 10:42 PM, ESPN FC's Alex Kirkland wrote a blog post.

Madrid's draw with RB Leipzig was not impressive, and it was a stark contrast to Kylian Mbappé's impressive performance in the Champions League for Paris Saint-Germain. The Madrid fans may have been hopeful about the team's future after Mbappé's display, but the lackluster performance against RB Leipzig quickly snapped them back to reality. Nonetheless, Madrid managed to advance to the quarterfinals with a narrow 2-1 aggregate score.

Madrid's performance in the Round-of-16 was a cause for concern, as they lacked any offensive threat and appeared to be at risk of conceding at the back. In comparison to Leipzig's 20 shots, Madrid only managed 11, indicating a possible disparity in skill level. If Madrid hopes to compete with top-tier teams such as Manchester City, they will need to step up their game significantly.

Looking at the positive aspect, we have Jude Bellingham to talk about. Even though he couldn't play in the first leg of the Champions League knockout against Madrid in Germany, he made a huge impact in his first appearance against them. Bellingham made an insightful pass to Vinícius Júnior which led to the first goal of the game. It's interesting to note that Bellingham has scored or assisted in every one of his six Champions League appearances for Madrid, making a total of four goals and four assists in Europe this season.

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Before the game began at Santiago Bernabeu, there was a calm mood. This is because Madrid had managed to secure a 1-0 lead during the first leg on Feb. 13. Therefore, there was no need for the team to stage a dramatic comeback; they only needed to keep the lead or increase it. Coach Carlo Ancelotti reflected this strategy by selecting a more cautious team. This team included Bellingham, Vinicius, and Federico Valverde at the front, with Bellingham operating in the middle. They worked alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni, Toni Kroos, and Eduardo Camavinga located midfield.

The game wasn't successful for Madrid as they struggled to create opportunities in the first half. The visitors had the best chances in the game and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made a great save from Xavi Simons, while Loïs Openda missed an opportunity. The Bernabeu crowd expressed their dissatisfaction with their team's performance before halftime. Bellingham's position as a "false nine" was affecting the team's offensive abilities, as they failed to make a shot on target in the first half. The team made a change during halftime, with Rodrygo taking Camavinga's place to unite with Bellingham and Vinicius in the attacking line.

In the beginning of the second half, Leipzig posed a greater threat and Lunin did well to retrieve the ball from Openda by swiftly coming off his line. Although Vinicius unjustly shoved defender Willi Orbán off the ball, he was only given a yellow card. Bellingham had a golden opportunity to put Real Madrid in the lead an hour into the game, but his shot was accidentally blocked by Rodrygo before it could hit the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes afterwards, Rodrygo had another attempt, but it was saved by keeper Péter Gulácsi as Real Madrid's performance began to improve.

Bellingham revolutionized the game with his innovation. Kroos unleashed a pass to the English midfielder in the 65th minute, who swiftly charged ahead. He waited until the final moment to deliver a pass to Vinicius, paving his way to the goal. Vinicius completed the move with ease on his initial touch. During the jubilant moment, he gestured towards Bellingham, requesting the audience to credit him as the goal's mastermind.

It seemed like the end of the match, but then Leipzig scored a goal four minutes later. Orban overtook Nacho Fernandez and headed David Raum's pass past Lunin. This made the last 20 minutes of the game very tense, as Madrid had to defend their one-goal advantage. Dani Olmo was so close to equalizing the score in the 92nd minute that he hit the crossbar, almost pushing the game into extra time.

In the end, what really counts is that Madrid have made it to the quarterfinals. They have proven in the past that they can overcome unimpressive displays to win this competition, as they did in 2022. However, a closer examination of their recent performances over the last 60 days reveals a cause for concern. If we exclude their impressive 4-0 victory over Girona in Laliga on February 10th, they have not been performing at their best. Over their last four games across all competitions, they have only managed to achieve three draws, and their two wins since beating Girona have both been only by a single goal.

Bellingham's ban for two games within the country won't be of much help and will continue until March 31st, unless there is a successful appeal. Vinicius has been doing well with three goals in two games, but he can't do it alone and needs support from the team. Rodrygo, who has played an important role in the Champions League, was put on the bench in the match against Leipzig. He has only scored once in two months. In terms of LaLiga, Real Madrid is leading with a seven-point margin which should be enough to secure their win, but in the Champions League, they will need to step up their game.

This summer, Mbappé is expected to join Madrid, but the team needs his magic sooner.