Diomandé came off the bench against his old club, and Real Madrid beat Leipzig 4-1 for three wins from three

Yan Diomandé joined Real Madrid from RB Leipzig in August as the club’s record signing. On Wednesday he came on against his old club with 20 minutes left, set up Kylian Mbappé for the third goal and then volleyed the fourth into the top corner.

Madrid won 4-1 at the Bernabéu. That is three wins from three in the Champions League league phase, nine points, and four wins in a row in all competitions going into Sunday’s Clásico in Barcelona.

Bernardo Silva’s first for the club

For most of the first half it was close. Leipzig had the first good chance, and Thibaut Courtois got down low to stop it. Federico Valverde, who started at right-back again, and Vinícius Júnior both brought saves out of Maarten Vandevoordt at the other end.

The breakthrough came just before half-time. Vandevoordt stopped Arda Güler’s shot but could not get it clear, and Bernardo Silva finished from close range. It was his first goal for Madrid since he arrived from Manchester City.

Güler got the second himself in the 52nd minute. Jude Bellingham crossed to the back post, Mbappé headed it back across goal and Güler held off his marker to turn it in.

Three late goals

Diomandé replaced Vinícius in the 70th minute, and it took him 13 minutes to make a difference. He pulled the ball back to Mbappé on the edge of the area in the 83rd minute, and Mbappé bent it in.

Leipzig scored two minutes later. Dean Huijsen switched off, and Tidiam Gomis, on as a substitute, beat Courtois. Diomandé then had the last word in the 87th minute, meeting Brahim Díaz’s cross on the volley. It was his third goal in four games.

The crowd and Vinícius

The night was less comfortable for Vinícius. Sections of the home crowd whistled him, and he will not be at Barcelona on Sunday either. He is serving a four-match La Liga ban for his red card against Villarreal on 10 October.

José Mourinho said the substitution had nothing to do with the trip to Barcelona. “The intention wasn’t thinking about the Clasico, it was thinking about this game,” he said. He also stood by the player. “I wouldn’t say he’s sad, that’s a feeling only he can explain, but his coach is happy.” Whistles away from home are a source of motivation, he said, but at home they hurt.

Mbappé backed him too when he spoke to Movistar. “If he is sad, it’s because he wants to give a lot to the team, and to the fans,” he said, adding that Vinícius’s “confidence will come back, because he has the quality.”

Barcelona on Sunday

Barcelona had won all 11 of their games this season before Tuesday, when they lost 4-2 to PSG in Paris. Madrid arrive having won their last four, Vinícius or no Vinícius.

Leipzig have three points from three games. They lost 4-1 at Como on the opening night and beat PSV 1-0 last week.

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