UCL Round of 16: RB Leipzig Drawn Against Real Madrid

RB Leipzig are up against stiff competition in the form of Real Madrid, whom they will face in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16 next year.

On Monday evening, 18 December, the round of 16 draw was held in Nyon, Switzerland. As a result, perennial favourites Real Madrid were matched up with RB Leipzig.

The two teams are set to play against each other in the first leg on 13 February 2024, and then in the second leg on 6 March 2024. Should Leipzig beat the 14-time UCL champions, they will progress to the quarter-finals.

In response to this drawing, Leipzig director Joachim Plenge displayed a mixture of awe, fear and dread: “It is the worst that could have happened to us. We faced each other last season and we already know Real Madrid’s history in this competition.”

Plenge is referring to when the Red Bulls took on Los Blancos in the group stages of the 2022/2023 UCL Champions League, whereby the former was beaten 2-0 by the latter on 14 September. 

Fortunately, the German outfit garnered themselves a 3-2 victory over the Spaniards on 25 October – so, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope on their journey to the quarter-finals!

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