The attacking midfielder scored the only goal in Germany to give Carlo Ancelotti's men a first-leg lead in the last 16
Brahim Diaz has been allowed to operate outside of the spotlight this season, scoring and assisting at an impressive rate while Jude Bellingham grabs the headlines. But with the England midfielder missing through injury on Tuesday, Brahim took centre stage, scoring the only goal of the night – a magnificent solo effort – to redeem a sloppy Real Madrid showing, and secure a 1-0 first-leg lead over RB Leipzig in the Champions League last 16.
The home side looked to have taken an early lead, but Benjamin Sesko's header was disallowed when the assistant controversially waved his offside flag. Madrid, for their part, had few chances – and put just two efforts on target in the first half.
But they didn't need long to get going after the break. Brahim provided the moment of magic, curling a shot into the top corner from outside the box after striding past three defenders. Vinicius Jr nearly added a second after 70 minutes, weaving past two defenders before poking a shot off the post.
The home side had their chances, too. Dani Olmo skied an effort from a tight angle, before forcing a neat save from Andriy Lunin with a shot from distance. Sesko also came close, but was denied by a strong hand from Madrid's goalkeeper, who also made another key stop in the final minutes as he steered Amadou Haidara's volley around the post.
It wasn't pretty, but victory on the road for Madrid is likely to be vital ahead of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in early March.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Red Bull Arena…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (8/10):
Bailed out by the offside flag after making a poor clearance that nearly gifted Leipzig an early lead. More than redeemed himself over the course of the game with nine saves and a handful of assured clearances.
Dani Carvajal (5/10):
Poor throughout. A silly piece of play almost gave away a goal early on, and he made a handful of stupid fouls. Lucky not to be sent off, in the end.
Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):
Won some key headers, and offered a real fight against the imposing Sesko. Sold a few timely fouls late on, too.
Nacho (6/10):
A welcome return for a player with actual centre-back experience. Kept it tidy and made a few important clearances.
Ferland Mendy (7/10):
Tackled well, and kept Olmo out of dangerous areas. A solid showing yet again.
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Toni Kroos (7/10):
Gave the ball away a few times in the first half. Back to his usual self after the break. Sprung counter-attacks with his expansive distribution.
Federico Valverde (6/10):
Pressed diligently, hunted down 50/50s, and offered attacking thrust from deep areas. Wasn't his cleanest day of passing, though – he played a few wayward balls.
Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):
Ran relentlessly, tackled hard, and enjoyed a few tidy exchanges on the ball. Not glamorous, but vital to success.
Brahim Diaz (8/10):
Handed the unenviable task of replacing Bellingham for the day. Reasonably quiet until he scored a wonderful goal to swing the tie Madrid's way. He can't quite pull off Bellingham's celebration, though…
Getty ImagesAttack
Rodrygo (6/10):
Less involved than Vinicius alongside him, and wasn't sharp in the final third. Blasted one over the bar when he could have put the tie to bed.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Barely involved in the first half. Made a real impact after the break, stretching the defence and creating chances for others. Unlucky to put poke an effort off the post.
Getty ImagesSubs & Manager
Joselu (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Lucas Vazquez (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):
Went for his strongest available line-up, and replaced Bellingham with Brahim. Madrid were poor for the first 20 minutes, and could have been two or three down. But they were much better after the break, and snatched a signature win on the road.
