This Thursday, Brahim will undergo testing for his calf injury; a tear seems unlikely.
It appears that the assailant escaped with a severe muscle injury.
Tuesday night, Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz stole the show as he scored an incredible solo goal to win the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match against RB Leipzig by a narrow margin of 1-0. His happiness was short-lived, though, as he had to leave the field a few minutes later due to what looked to be a serious calf injury.
In a tight encounter, Diaz’s goal—a testament to his own brilliance—was the decisive factor. However, after he hobbled off in the 84th minute, questions soon turned to his fitness. Even though the preliminary examination indicates that he escaped a muscle tear, tests on Thursday will provide more insight into the extent of the damage.
While Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti provided some consolation by saying that “it doesn’t seem to be a muscle injury,” Diaz’s availability for the team’s visit to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday may be in doubt due to even a minor calf issue. The team will probably take a cautious approach, so his availability for the pivotal league matchup is currently uncertain.
Despite the possible setback, Diaz’s injury has given rise to optimism. His performance against Leipzig demonstrated his talent and potential, and since Bellingham is currently sidelined due to injury, a quick recovery would be extremely beneficial for Real Madrid’s hopes in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Brahim’s stunning goal early in the second half proved to be the only difference between the two teams as Los Blancos defeated them 1-0 in Eastern Germany.
Nevertheless, Real had to weather a fierce storm from Leipzig, requiring nine saves from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin during the course of the ninety minutes.
With the club hoping to exact revenge for their elimination from the semi-finals the previous season, the 14-time winners are well-positioned going into the second leg, which is scheduled for early next month.
Though Brahim’s limping off after experiencing pain in a leg muscle while in possession raised some concerns in the latter stages, Lunin’s save kept Leipzig from equalizing. Benjamin Sesko was about to score.
Speaking to the media, though, following the Man of
With this statement, the game-winner also showed his teammate some love: “I celebrated like that for Jude, he wanted to play this game, so this goal [is for] for him.”
The Spaniard, who has struggled to displace Bellingham, Rodrygo, or Vinicius Junior for regular minutes in the starting XI, was only making his fifth start in 11 games.
With his goal tonight, the 24-year-old has now scored the lone goal in two separate last-16 first-legs for different teams. He previously did it for AC Milan against Tottenham Hotspur in the previous campaign.
Brahim’s goals and assists are naturally lower given his more restricted playing time, but he has surpassed his total in the Champions League from
