Three goals in four minutes sealed Real Madrid's win over Leipzig

Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Bernabéu, creating more and better chances than their opponents and finishing them late on.

For most of the second half, Real Madrid's win looked comfortable rather than contested, as they had been 2-0 up since the 52nd minute. Then the game moved quickly. Kylian Mbappé made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute, Tidiam Gomis pulled one back for RB Leipzig two minutes later, and Yan Diomande settled it in the 87th. The last five minutes changed how the scoreline reads, and they are the reason this result looks more lopsided than the first 80 minutes did.

Real had 64% of the ball and took 18 shots, where a typical side in this league takes 14.6 in a match. Eleven of those were on target, and 13 came from inside the box, close enough to the goal to be genuinely dangerous. Leipzig's keeper M. Vandevoordt made six saves, which is a sign of how often he was called on, and T. Courtois made five at the other end.

Expected goals, or xG, is a way of valuing each shot by how often shots of that kind go in. Real's attempts added up to 2.9 xG, well above the 1.76 a typical side in this league produces in a match. They scored four, so their finishing ran ahead of the quality of what they created. Leipzig's 11 shots were below the league's usual figure, and their 1.46 xG was roughly matched by the single goal they scored.

Bernardo Silva gave Real the lead in the 43rd minute, and Arda Güler doubled it in the 52nd with a finish that came from a pass by Mbappé. Mbappé, rated 8.4, was involved in more than one goal, scoring the third and setting up the second. Diomande's 87th-minute goal was created by Brahim Díaz, and Diomande had also provided the pass for Mbappé's goal four minutes earlier. Gomis's goal in the 85th minute was Leipzig's only reply, and it came from a pass by Christoph Baumgartner.

Recent form adds another layer. Real's last six matches brought five wins, and all three of their recent home games were won. Leipzig's record is more uneven: they won all three of their recent home games, but every one of their recent away games ended in defeat. That split is the pattern worth watching if you want to know how this side travels, and it is the reason Leipzig's away form stands out next to their home record.

In the table, Real Madrid are tenth with six points from two matches, while Leipzig are 23rd with three points from the same number of games. Real's shots and chances this evening were higher than the league's typical side, and they took a clear result from a game that was level for only the first 43 minutes.

Player of the matchKylian Mbappé1 goal · 1 assist8.4

Bernardo Silva1 goal8.2

A. Güler1 goal8.2

T. Courtois5 saves7.9