Is Vinicius Junior playing today? Projected lineups for Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig in 2026-27 UEFA Champions League Matchday 3

Real Madrid host RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 2026-27 Champions League, with both sides arriving off wins in their most recent outing.

Real Madrid enter on a run of good form. They beat Roma 4-3 on October 14 and followed up a strong September result, a 2-1 win over Inter on September 8. A win here would extend that momentum and strengthen their position in the competition.

RB Leipzig have been inconsistent lately. They edged PSV 1-0 on October 13, but that result came after a 1-4 loss to Como 1907 on September 10. A positive result in Madrid would go a long way toward steadying their campaign.

Jose Mourinho sets Real Madrid up in a 4-2-3-1 with Thibaut Courtois behind a back four of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Rudiger and Marc Cucurella. Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni sit in midfield, with Arda Guler operating behind Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, who is expected to start, in attack alongside Jude Bellingham further forward. There are no listed absences, so Mourinho has his full squad to choose from for this one.

Real Madrid projected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Rudiger, Marc Cucurella, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior. Coach: Jose Mourinho.

Martin Demichelis also lines RB Leipzig up in a 4-2-3-1, with Maarten Vandevoordt in goal behind Ridle Baku, Willi Orban, Castello Lukeba and David Raum. Neil El Aynaoui and Ezechiel Banzuzi anchor the midfield, while Christopher Nkunku and Brajan Gruda support Romulo and Antonio Nusa in the final third. RB Leipzig have no reported absences, giving Demichelis his preferred group to work with on the road.