Table of Contents
The Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg timeline is relatively short compared with many European club rivalries, but the meetings between the Spanish giants and Austrian club have produced memorable moments. Real Madrid and RB Salzburg first met in a pre-season friendly in August 2019, before facing each other competitively in the UEFA Champions League in January 2025.
Real Madrid won both recorded meetings, including a 1-0 friendly victory in Salzburg in 2019 and a dominant 5-1 Champions League win at the Santiago Bernabéu in 2025. UEFA’s official head-to-head record lists only the 2025 Champions League match because its competitive head-to-head records exclude the 2019 friendly.
This Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg timeline covers their meetings, results, important goals, competitions, key players, head-to-head records and the development of this relatively new European matchup.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg: Quick Overview
| Category | Real Madrid | RB Salzburg |
|---|---|---|
| First recorded meeting | 2019 | 2019 |
| Competitive meetings | 1 | 1 |
| Overall recorded meetings | 2 | 2 |
| Wins | 2 | 0 |
| Draws | 0 | 0 |
| Goals scored | 6 | 1 |
| Biggest win | 5-1 | — |
| Most recent meeting | Won 5-1 | Lost 1-5 |
| Major competition | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Champions League |
The overall record includes the 2019 friendly and the 2025 Champions League match. UEFA’s competitive head-to-head record currently shows Real Madrid with one win, Salzburg with none, and five goals to one.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Timeline
The history of Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg can be divided into two major encounters: the 2019 pre-season friendly and the 2025 Champions League league-phase meeting.
| Date | Competition | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 2019 | Pre-season friendly | Salzburg vs Real Madrid | Real Madrid won 1-0 |
| 22 January 2025 | UEFA Champions League | Real Madrid vs Salzburg | Real Madrid won 5-1 |
These are the two recorded first-team meetings between the clubs in the sources reviewed. The 2025 Champions League match was their first competitive meeting. UEFA specifically described the January 2025 fixture as the clubs’ first meeting in its pre-match facts article, because the earlier encounter was a friendly rather than a competitive UEFA match.
2019: Salzburg vs Real Madrid Friendly
The first recorded meeting between Real Madrid and RB Salzburg took place on 7 August 2019 at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg.
It was a pre-season friendly as Real Madrid prepared for the 2019-20 campaign. Real Madrid won 1-0, with Eden Hazard scoring the only goal of the match.
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | 7 August 2019 |
| Competition | Pre-season friendly |
| Venue | Red Bull Arena, Salzburg |
| Result | Salzburg 0-1 Real Madrid |
| Winner | Real Madrid |
| Goal scorer | Eden Hazard |
| Goal time | 19th minute |
Hazard scored in the 19th minute with a strike from outside the penalty area. The goal was particularly notable because it was his first goal for Real Madrid after joining the club from Chelsea.
Real Madrid’s own annual report also records the match as a 0-1 victory at Salzburg, with Hazard listed as the scorer.
The game was an important part of Madrid’s pre-season preparation. Eder Militão made his first appearance for the club, while Casemiro returned to the team during the summer preparations.
Why the 2019 Match Was Important
Although the 2019 game was only a friendly, it became an important historical fixture because it established the first recorded meeting between the two clubs.
The match also has a special place in Real Madrid history because of Hazard’s goal. His long-range effort gave Madrid a narrow victory and provided an early memorable moment from his first summer with the Spanish club.
For Salzburg, the match was an opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s most successful teams. Despite losing, the Austrian side kept the scoreline close and competed well during the pre-season encounter.
2025: Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg in the Champions League
The next major chapter in the Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg timeline came more than five years later.
On 22 January 2025, Real Madrid hosted Salzburg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Unlike the 2019 friendly, this was a competitive European fixture. Real Madrid produced a commanding performance and won 5-1.
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 January 2025 |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League |
| Stage | League phase, Matchday 7 |
| Venue | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
| Result | Real Madrid 5-1 Salzburg |
| Half-time score | Real Madrid 2-0 Salzburg |
| Real Madrid scorers | Rodrygo 2, Mbappé 1, Vinícius Júnior 2 |
| Salzburg scorer | Mads Bidstrup |
UEFA records the match as Real Madrid’s only competitive meeting with Salzburg, with Madrid winning 5-1.
Rodrygo Gives Real Madrid the Early Advantage
Real Madrid started strongly at the Bernabéu, although Salzburg showed attacking intent during the opening stages.
The breakthrough arrived in the 23rd minute. Jude Bellingham helped create the opportunity, and Rodrygo finished to put Real Madrid 1-0 ahead.
Rodrygo then doubled Madrid’s advantage in the 34th minute. Once again, Bellingham was involved, with the Brazilian forward producing an excellent finish to make it 2-0.
The two goals gave Real Madrid a comfortable advantage at half-time. UEFA’s match records confirm Rodrygo’s goals came in the 23rd and 34th minutes.
Mbappé and Vinícius Complete the Rout
Real Madrid continued to dominate after the interval.
Kylian Mbappé scored in the 48th minute, extending Madrid’s lead to 3-0. Vinícius Júnior then scored in the 55th minute to make it 4-0.
The Brazilian forward completed his brace in the 77th minute, giving Madrid a five-goal advantage.
Salzburg eventually found a consolation goal through Mads Bidstrup in the 85th minute, but the match ended Real Madrid 5-1 Salzburg.
The result was especially significant for Vinícius, who passed the 100-goal mark for Real Madrid during the match. Real Madrid’s official report highlighted his milestone alongside Rodrygo’s two goals and Mbappé’s strike.
2025 Champions League Match Timeline
| Minute | Event |
|---|---|
| 23′ | Rodrygo puts Real Madrid 1-0 ahead |
| 34′ | Rodrygo scores again for 2-0 |
| 45′ | Half-time: Real Madrid 2-0 Salzburg |
| 48′ | Kylian Mbappé makes it 3-0 |
| 55′ | Vinícius Júnior scores for 4-0 |
| 77′ | Vinícius Júnior completes his brace |
| 85′ | Mads Bidstrup scores Salzburg’s consolation |
| 90′ | Real Madrid win 5-1 |
The official LaLiga match record confirms the scoring sequence and final 5-1 result.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Head-to-Head Record
The head-to-head record is heavily in Real Madrid’s favour.
If both the 2019 friendly and 2025 competitive fixture are included, Real Madrid have won both recorded meetings.
| Competition Type | Matches | Real Madrid Wins | Salzburg Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Overall recorded | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
In competitive UEFA competition, however, the record is one match: Real Madrid one win, Salzburg zero wins and no draws. UEFA lists the competitive score as five goals for Madrid and one for Salzburg.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Goals Record
Across the two recorded meetings, Real Madrid have scored six goals and Salzburg have scored once.
| Team | Goals |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 6 |
| RB Salzburg | 1 |
The first meeting ended 1-0, while the Champions League match ended 5-1. Therefore, Madrid have a six-goal total against Salzburg compared with Salzburg’s single goal.
Key Players in the Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Timeline
Eden Hazard
Hazard was the decisive player in the first recorded meeting. His 19th-minute strike gave Real Madrid a 1-0 victory in the 2019 friendly and became his first goal for the club.
Rodrygo
Rodrygo was the star of the 2025 Champions League match. He scored twice before half-time, putting Real Madrid firmly in control.
Vinícius Júnior
Vinícius scored twice in the 2025 match and was named Player of the Match by UEFA. His second goal took him beyond 100 goals for Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé
Mbappé scored Real Madrid’s third goal in the 2025 Champions League match. His strike came three minutes after half-time and helped Madrid move from a 2-0 lead to a comfortable 3-0 advantage.
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham played an important creative role in the 2025 victory. He provided the assists for both of Rodrygo’s first-half goals.
Real Madrid’s Record Against Austrian Clubs
The Salzburg matchup also fits into Real Madrid’s wider history against Austrian clubs.
Before facing Salzburg in 2025, Real Madrid had already played numerous European matches against Austrian opposition, including Wacker Innsbruck, Rapid Wien, Austria Wien and Sturm Graz.
UEFA’s pre-match facts showed that Madrid had a strong historical record against Austrian teams. Their previous Austrian opponent before Salzburg had been Sturm Graz in the 1998/99 Champions League, when Madrid won 6-1 at home and 5-1 away.
That history helped put the Salzburg fixture into a broader European context, although Salzburg themselves were a new competitive opponent for Madrid.
RB Salzburg’s Record Against Spanish Clubs
Salzburg have faced a number of Spanish clubs in European competition, including Villarreal, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad.
UEFA’s pre-match information for the 2025 Madrid fixture recorded Salzburg’s historical results against Spanish clubs as five wins, four draws and 13 defeats, with 18 goals scored and 34 conceded.
The 5-1 defeat in Madrid added another loss to Salzburg’s record against Spanish opposition.
Most Memorable Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Matches
The two recorded matches each have a different historical importance.
| Year | Match | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Salzburg 0-1 Real Madrid | First recorded meeting; Hazard scored his first Madrid goal |
| 2025 | Real Madrid 5-1 Salzburg | First competitive meeting and dominant Champions League victory |
The 2019 friendly is remembered primarily for Hazard’s goal and Madrid’s narrow victory.
The 2025 Champions League fixture is much more significant competitively. Madrid’s five-goal performance included braces from Rodrygo and Vinícius and a goal from Mbappé.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Timeline by Year
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | First recorded meeting, friendly | Real Madrid won 1-0 |
| 2020-2024 | No recorded first-team meeting | — |
| 2025 | First competitive meeting, Champions League | Real Madrid won 5-1 |
| 2026 | No additional meeting recorded in the reviewed sources | — |
The gap between the two matches demonstrates that this is not yet a traditional recurring rivalry. Instead, the clubs have crossed paths only occasionally.
Biggest Win in the Rivalry
Real Madrid’s biggest win over RB Salzburg is the 5-1 Champions League victory in January 2025.
The margin of four goals was considerably larger than the 1-0 result from 2019. Madrid also scored five goals in a single match for the first time against Salzburg.
Rodrygo and Vinícius each scored twice, while Mbappé completed the scoring for Madrid. Bidstrup’s late goal prevented a clean sheet but did little to change the outcome.
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg: Important Records
| Record | Holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Most wins | Real Madrid | 2 |
| Most goals | Real Madrid | 6 |
| Biggest win | Real Madrid | 5-1 |
| Most goals in one match | Real Madrid | 5 |
| Most goals by one player in a match | Rodrygo/Vinícius | 2 each |
| First recorded goal | Eden Hazard | 2019 |
| First competitive meeting | Real Madrid | 2025 |
| Most recent winner | Real Madrid | 5-1 in 2025 |
Why the Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg Timeline Is Interesting
The Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg timeline is interesting because the clubs come from different football traditions and have rarely met.
Real Madrid are one of the most successful clubs in European football, while Salzburg have become one of Austria’s strongest modern clubs and a regular participant in European competitions.
Their 2019 friendly gave fans an early meeting between the teams, while the 2025 Champions League fixture finally created a competitive chapter in the rivalry.
The 2025 match was particularly memorable because of Madrid’s attacking quality. Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé all scored, while Bellingham contributed two assists.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Real Madrid first play RB Salzburg?
The first recorded meeting took place on 7 August 2019 in a pre-season friendly at the Red Bull Arena. Real Madrid won 1-0 through an Eden Hazard goal.
Who won Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg in 2019?
Real Madrid won the 2019 friendly 1-0. Eden Hazard scored the only goal in the 19th minute.
When did Real Madrid and RB Salzburg first meet competitively?
Their first competitive meeting was on 22 January 2025 in the UEFA Champions League league phase. Real Madrid won 5-1.
Who won Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg in 2025?
Real Madrid won 5-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior scored two goals each, while Kylian Mbappé scored once for Madrid.
How many times have Real Madrid and RB Salzburg played each other?
The reviewed records show two first-team meetings: a 2019 friendly and a 2025 Champions League match. Real Madrid won both.
What is Real Madrid’s biggest win against RB Salzburg?
Real Madrid’s biggest victory over Salzburg is the 5-1 Champions League win on 22 January 2025.
Who scored Real Madrid’s first goal against Salzburg?
Eden Hazard scored Real Madrid’s first recorded goal against Salzburg in the 2019 friendly.
Who scored twice for Real Madrid against Salzburg in 2025?
Both Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior scored braces in Real Madrid’s 5-1 Champions League victory.
Conclusion
The Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg timeline contains only a small number of recorded meetings, but both matches have their own significance.
The first meeting came in August 2019, when Eden Hazard scored his first Real Madrid goal to secure a 1-0 friendly victory. More than five years later, the clubs met competitively for the first time in the UEFA Champions League.
That 2025 match produced a much more emphatic result, with Real Madrid defeating Salzburg 5-1. Rodrygo scored twice, Vinícius Júnior added two goals, and Kylian Mbappé also found the net.
Overall, Real Madrid have won both recorded meetings, scoring six goals and conceding just one. If the clubs meet again in European competition, the 2025 Champions League match will provide the main competitive benchmark for this developing matchup.