Güler sets the course, Diomande finishes the job

Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4–1 at the Bernabéu on Wednesday 21 October and kept their perfect record in the Champions League. Arda Güler had a hand in the first two goals, Thibaut Courtois kept his side afloat in the difficult moments and Yan Diomande made a decisive impact off the bench. The scoreline rewards Madrid's attacking superiority; it also masks a first half that was less reassuring.

Real now have nine points from three matchdays. But to describe this evening as a stroll would erase an essential part of the game: before Bernardo Silva broke the deadlock, Leipzig had created chances that could have changed the script. Madrid won comfortably after having to lean on their goalkeeper. Both realities belong in the assessment.

The Germans had clear chances in a first half that was still open. Rômulo tested Courtois's reflexes in the box; Christopher Nkunku then found the Belgian in his way in a one-on-one. The space left to the opposition forwards was a serious warning for the Madrid defence. A goalkeeper can bail out a single move; his team must not turn that into a way of playing.

Madrid did have their own arguments, though. On the right, Federico Valverde and Arda Güler offered ways to move forward, combine and reach the box. Vinícius Júnior also forced Maarten Vandevoordt into action. Real were not simply absorbing pressure without reply, but their time in the opposition half did not remove Leipzig's chances on the break.

Just before the break, a cut-back from Valverde allowed Güler to shoot. Vandevoordt failed to hold the ball and Bernardo Silva followed up to open the scoring. The Portuguese deserves credit for being in the right place, after a move built down the right. Real went in with a 1–0 lead that did not erase their scares.

The second half looked more like what Madrid had been trying to impose. Valverde threatened the goal again, before the second goal turned that better spell into reality. From a Jude Bellingham cross, Mbappé headed the ball on and Güler pushed it over the line. His involvement rewarded an influence already visible in the first half.

At 2–0, Real could pick their moments. The game stayed that way until the final quarter-hour, before a late surge driven by the substitutes. Yan Diomande, who had replaced Vinícius, set up Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman finally got his goal with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

Tidiam Gomis pulled one back two minutes later, from a Christoph Baumgartner pass. The goal could not reasonably be said to reopen the whole contest, but it was a reminder that the Madrid defence remained vulnerable. Diomande immediately closed the brackets: set up by Brahim Díaz, the Ivorian volleyed in with his right foot to make it 4–1. A goal and an assist from a particularly productive cameo.

Madrid finish with 18 shots to 11, 11 of them on target to 6, as well as seven corners to one. These three gaps confirm a superior attacking output. They also show that Leipzig found the target often enough to force five saves from Courtois. A win by three goals therefore does not mean an evening without work for the goalkeeper.

Real kept the ball moving more and completed 679 passes to their opponents' 356. That control in numbers counted for more after the break. It must not become retrospective proof that everything was under control before the first goal. The German chances and the 0–0 scoreline coexisted long enough to make that reading too comfortable.

Individually, Güler hit the target with all three of his attempts. Mbappé finished with a goal and an assist, Diomande with the same return despite less time on the pitch. The numbers support the analysis; they do not replace the chronology or the difficulty of the moves.

José Mourinho replaced Vinícius and Álvaro Carreras with Diomande and Marc Cucurella around the 70th minute. Brahim then came on for Güler. Two of those substitutes are directly involved in the late goals: Diomande passes to Mbappé, then Brahim sets up Diomande. The bench contributed concrete moments in a game the starters had already put on the right track.

For Vinícius, the assessment remains insufficient given his status. His two shots on target make it impossible to describe him as completely absent. However, they are not enough to make up for an uneven influence and a quiet second half before he went off. A player of his importance must help his team step up a level, not just leave a few marks on the stats sheet. This verdict concerns his performance on the night, without erasing his qualities or his previous matches.

The contrast with Diomande is stark. The Ivory Coast international set up a team-mate before finishing the job himself. As for Brahim Díaz, his pass for the last goal is a reminder of the value of a substitute who can add quality to the final ball. The African impact of Madrid's evening can be read directly in those two moves.

Real have nine points after three league-phase matches, while Leipzig remain on three. Madrid have thus done their European duty ahead of their next big league date. Efficiency, solutions from the bench and the place Güler has taken are the gains of the evening.

The reservation remains defensive. Conceding six shots on target in a game won 4–1 allows satisfaction, not complacency. Against a more efficient opponent, Courtois's interventions might not be enough. The progress to seek is clear: keep this ability to create without offering so many clear chances before taking the lead.

Watch the goals and the main chances in the video highlights provided by Sky Sport.