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RB Leipzig director Joachim Plenge has expressed his concern about drawing Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 this season.
Los Blancos finished at the top of their group comprising Napoli, Braga, and Union Berling, and won all six games. RB Leipzig, meanwhile, won four and lost two games in their group, finishing behind Manchester City but above Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade.
The Red Bulls will now take on the Spanish giants in the Champions League Round of 16. Club director Joachim Plenge believes it's the worst draw his side could've gotten as he said (via Managing Madrid):
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“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."
The two sides faced off in the group stage of the Champions League last season. RB Leipzig won 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena while Real Madrid won 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Both sides were eliminated by eventual champions Manchester City. While the German side went down 8-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16, Los Blancos lost 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.
Red Bull Arena will host the first leg of their upcoming clash on February 13 while the second leg will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 6.
Real Madrid legend on drawing RB Leipzig in Champions League 2023-24
The Champions League Round of 16 draw was held at Nyon, Switzerland on Monday, December 18. Many dignitaries from the footballing world were present at the event, including former Real Madrid striker Emilio Butragueno.
The now club spokesperson shared his thoughts on Los Blancos drawing RB Leipzig and some people considering it to be a relatively easier opponent. Butragueno said:
“Real Madrid are happy with the draw? Those are just opinions and what worries us is the team and the rival we have in the round of 16, that is RB Leizpig, who we know well from last season.
"They were two intense, tough games, we know that we are not going to have an easy time repeating the draw here in a few months. We already know what this competition represents for the club.”
The 14-time Champions League winners are certainly the favorites to proceed to the next round. They have had to deal with numerous injury issues but remain second in La Liga, two points behind Girona.
RB Leipzig, meanwhile, are third in Bundesliga, seven points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
