He witnessed Real Madrid's big wins and their painful collapse: referee for Leipzig clash revealed
The match is on Wednesday
UEFA have handed Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs the whistle for Real Madrid's clash with Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu in the third round of the Champions League. Poland's Tomasz Kwiatkowski will run the VAR.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Kovacs, 42, ranks among UEFA's elite referees and has held the international badge since 2010. This will be his first match in the Champions League league phase this season.
The fixture carries extra weight for Kovacs. It marks his sixth Real Madrid game in European competition, with his previous five producing three wins and two defeats for the Spanish giants.
Liverpool inflicted that most recent defeat, beating Madrid 1-0 at Anfield in the league phase last season.
His first came courtesy of Manchester City, who edged a 4-3 thriller in England during the first leg of the 2021-2022 Champions League semi-final.
Real's three wins under Kovacs tell a happier story. It started with a 5-2 battering of Liverpool in the first leg of the 2022-2023 round of 16, followed by a 5-2 demolition of Borussia Dortmund at the Bernabeu in the group stage, before a 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the second leg of last season's knockout rounds.
Leipzig present fresh territory. This will be the first time Kovacs takes charge of a German side in Europe, a new test for the Romanian on the continental stage.
