Following his mazy solo run to attain Real Madrid’s successful objective, Brahim Diaz celebrated by jogging to the sideline and spreading his arms extensive open, imitating the trademark celebration of his injured teammate, Jude Bellingham, whom he had changed within the beginning lineup.
“Oh my god, Brahim!!!” Bellingham wrote on X, moments after the objective.
Diaz stepped up in Bellingham’s absence on Tuesday, main Madrid to a 1-0 win at RB Leipzig within the spherical of 16 within the Champions League.
“I really like Jude; from the moment he arrived, we’ve been getting along,” Diaz said. “I’m 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 superb individual as nicely, and I’m very grateful to him.”
Bellingham, certainly one of Madrid’s greatest gamers this season after becoming a member of from Borussia Dortmund, couldn’t play after spraining his ankle in a Spanish league sport 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 is predicted to be sidelined for 2 to 3 weeks.
The return leg will likely be on March 6 on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
“We aren’t happy with the result because we had more chances to score and didn’t do that,” RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo said. “Brahim Diaz has numerous high quality and seized his likelihood. Real Madrid is without doubt one of the greatest groups in Europe. You need to profit from your probabilities in opposition to opponents like that.”
In the opposite Champions League sport Tuesday, Manchester City gained 3-1 at FC Copenhagen.
Diaz mixed some nifty dribbles with a robust run to get previous three RB Leipzig defenders earlier than hitting the highest nook with a left-footed shot from inside the world within the forty eighth minute.
“I saw they were afraid of coming after me,” he said. “I’m blissful to have helped with the objective, and 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 group, that we’re Real Madrid.”
Diaz had to get replaced with an obvious muscle damage late within the sport. He walked off the sphere with ice wrapped round his proper calf.
“I don’t know what it is, to be honest,” the 24-year-old Diaz said. “I’m positive tomorrow we are going to undergo some exams.”
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti once more needed to improvise in protection, as a number of gamers remained injured. He used midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as one of many central defenders, taking part in alongside Nacho Fernandez.
RB Leipzig had an early objective disallowed for offside and created a lot of the probabilities all through the match however have been denied by some good saves by Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who has been changing the injured Thibaut Courtois.
“It wasn’t easy,” Ancelotti said. “We have been harmful on counterattacks, however Lunin performed an excellent match. He is taking part in with numerous confidence. We have a slight benefit, however there’s nonetheless lots to play for.”
RB Leipzig had gained the final assembly between the groups in a group-stage sport final season.
The German membership has certified for the competitors’s knockout rounds for the fourth time in 5 seasons.
“We’re going to travel to Madrid and try everything,” RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose said. “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 at the least the semifinals the final three seasons, having gained its record-extending 14th European title in 2022.
Source: www.dailysabah.com