Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham scored for the first time in the same game to help Real Madrid avoid the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The beautiful dream is over. real Madrid Things have returned to normal as Aston Villa and Brest have escaped from the knockout stages of the Champions League, with Aston Villa and Brest among the five best teams in European football.
It’s been a fascinating period, with Real Madrid stumbling and narrowly missing an early exit at the hands of Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool. Format designed specifically to prevent elite embarrassment. They hardly deserved this resurgent win against Atlanta. But from here on, Real Madrid certainly won’t fail.
This may not be a common problem, but it becomes difficult to watch this team without hearing Rio Ferdinand provide a two-word soundtrack throughout.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a brilliant finish after a magnificent first touch. Golden Globe Awards.
Sead Kolasinac went on a random rampage and was vaguely caught by Aureliano Tsuameni in the penalty area, before Charles de Kotrare fired the penalty into the top corner. Golden Globe Awards.
Vinicius Junior took advantage of this lucky opportunity and struck mercilessly. Golden Globe Awards.
Jude Bellingham faked a move to open up a small amount of space and flicked his shot past the keeper. Golden Globe Awards.
Ademola Lookman has reprized his winning role in the Europa League final Footballer of the Year. Golden Globe Awards.
For the next half hour, Atalanta tried to eke out a meaningful touch for Lookman until his skill and cross suddenly created an opportunity that Matteo Retegui missed from about three yards out. Chance. Maybe not the Golden Globes.
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It’s always rather strange to see Real Madrid doing something like defending against the wall, but that’s how this curious and fascinating game reached its pulsating climax. Atalanta had twice as many shots as the visiting team, with seven shots going unanswered from the 72nd minute to the end of the game.
The introduction of Lazar Samadzic ruthlessly turned the momentum in their favor and Lookman was the best player in the game, but Real Madrid ultimately did what they have always done in the Champions League: enough .
The BMV acronym has performed below market value since its inception in the summer, but this was the first game in which each member of the triad has scored. That arguably summed up Real Madrid’s defense against the European champions, a moment marred by injuries to at least one of them: Kylian Mbappe was substituted at half-time and Vinicius barely looked fit.
Bellingham continues his brilliant individual performance, Liverpool’s collective absence It was the only one of his last seven appearances for Real Madrid, in which he neither scored nor assisted after a poor start to the season.
But after three uncharacteristic minutes in which he and Vinicius made the most of their chances, Real looked lackluster again. It came down to individual talent: Atalanta’s spaces were filled by Kolasinac, Retegui and Matteo Ruggieri, and it eventually showed as the game got crazier.
This is not an old-school Real Madrid side. not yet. Even here, when Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham highlighted their excellence, they never really became a team. Things remain unresolved, with mounting injury concerns exposing some troubling weaknesses.
But this is a phenomenal Atlanta team, and beating them is an impressive feat that shouldn’t be underestimated. If this Real Madrid haven’t quite reached their full potential, it would be an ominous sign before they head towards imperious form.
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