MADRID (Interstat) — Real Madrid turned a tight contest into a late surge and beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, using second-half goals from Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Yan Diomande to support Bernardo Silva’s first-half opener. Real Madrid entered after a 4-1 home win over Sevilla, while Leipzig was coming off a 6-1 loss at Bayern Munich. The home side led 1-0 at halftime after Silva scored in the 43rd minute. Real Madrid kept the pressure on after the break, and Guler doubled the lead in the 52nd minute. Madrid controlled possession for long stretches and forced Leipzig to defend deep. Leipzig defended in numbers early and limited clear chances until Silva broke through just before the interval.

Mbappe, who finished with a goal and an assist, made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute. Leipzig answered two minutes later when Tidiam Gomis scored in the 85th, with Christoph Baumgartner recording an assist in 12 minutes. Diomande restored Real Madrid’s three-goal cushion in the 87th, finishing with a goal and an assist in 20 minutes. Brahim Diaz also supplied an assist in 12 minutes for Real Madrid. Silva’s opener set the tone, and Guler’s goal gave the home side breathing room before Mbappe and Diomande closed out the scoring. Leipzig’s only goal came from Gomis, who made an impact in 17 minutes. Baumgartner’s assist came during a short Leipzig push that briefly gave the visitors hope. The key performances, in descending order, were Mbappe with a goal and an assist, Silva with a goal, Diomande with a goal and an assist in 20 minutes, Guler with a goal, Gomis with a goal in 17 minutes, Baumgartner with an assist in 12 minutes and Brahim Diaz with an assist in 12 minutes.

Real Madrid improved to 2-0 in the competition and 8-2 across all competitions. RB Leipzig fell to 1-1 in the competition and 5-4-1 overall. The visitors had brief spells of pressure but could not turn them into a sustained comeback after Guler’s goal. Real Madrid’s control in midfield and its ability to create chances late in the match kept Leipzig from building momentum. Leipzig’s best response came after Mbappe’s goal, when Gomis scored, but Diomande answered almost immediately to end the visitors’ hopes. The late exchange underlined the difference in finishing between the sides. Real Madrid’s finishing in the final 10 minutes proved decisive, while Leipzig could not sustain pressure after scoring.

Carreras was booked for Real Madrid in the 68th minute, and Reitz was booked for RB Leipzig in the 70th. Leipzig made substitutions in the 63rd minute with Gruda and El Aynaoui, in the 73rd with Raum and Nusa, and in the 78th with Nkunku. Real Madrid brought on Vinicius Junior and Carreras in the 70th, replaced Guler in the 78th, and replaced Mbappe and Bellingham in the 88th. The changes helped Real Madrid maintain its late pressure while Leipzig searched for a second goal. Leipzig’s substitutions gave the side fresh legs, but the visitors could not shift the match’s momentum.

The result gave Real Madrid another win at home in the competition and left Leipzig with a split record in the tournament. Real Madrid next faces FC Barcelona, while Leipzig is scheduled to host Elversberg. Both teams will return to league play after a match that was decided by Real Madrid’s late finishing and Leipzig’s inability to close the gap after Gomis scored. Real Madrid’s attacking depth showed in the closing minutes, with Diomande scoring after coming on, and Leipzig could not produce another response. The match remained competitive into the second half before Madrid’s late goals separated the teams.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 Real Madrid win, and its ELO system gave Real Madrid an 85.7 percent probability of winning. Real Madrid had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -2. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 4.5.