Brahim Diaz scored one of the goals of the season for Real Madrid (Photo: Getty)
Jude Bellingham may face stiff competition for his place when he returns from injury after his replacement Brahim Diaz scored a wonder goal for Real Madrid.
Real won the first-leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night 1-0, even though the Bundesliga club were the better team overall.
Attacking midfielder Diaz provided the only goal of the game shortly after the break, when he glided by several defenders before curling an effort beautifully into the top corner.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, former Real, Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen said of the goal: ‘I saw what Brahim did to score his goal and I saw Leo Messi.’
The former Manchester City star has only started 12 games this season and was the man chosen by Carlo Ancelotti to replace Bellingham who is out with an ankle injury for the rest of the month.
The England international is arguably the best player in the world right now having scored 20 goals and made eight assists in this his first season at Real.
It was an unenviable task for Diaz, but he pulled it off and even copied Bellingham’s signature celebration, with his teammate subsequently serenading him on Twitter.
‘Bellingham? I love him, we’ve got on so well since day one. I’m helping him with his Spanish.
‘He’s a world class player and we’re going to love having him here. Aside from his charisma, he’s a wonderful person and player.
‘My goal? I picked the ball up, turned well and then I saw they were scared to tackle me, they stepped off and I bent it into the top corner.
‘I’m intuitive. I saw Vini [Vinicius Junior] and I wanted to pass to him but then I waited. It was a beautiful goal.’
But it wasn’t the perfect night for Diaz who was later taken off after appearing to suffer a calf injury.
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On that the 24-year-old said: ‘Injury? ‘I’m not sure right now.
‘I felt a kick and then it was like my calf seized up. I guess we’ll run tests tomorrow and hopefully nothing will come of it.’
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