Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes and Jude Bellingham proved to be a fine pair with goals in each half, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Sporting Braga. This win maintains Real Madrid’s three-point lead at the summit of Group C.
Despite the inclement weather in northern Portugal, the Spanish giants dominated the match right from the start. Rodrygo broke the deadlock in the 16th minute with a close-range strike, thanks to Vinícius Júnior’s blistering run down the left wing and a perfectly delivered ball.
Madrid had ample opportunities to widen their lead, particularly through the speedy Vinícius, who frequently found himself caught offside due to Braga’s high defensive line. However, they managed to strike again in the 61st minute. Rodrygo cleverly evaded the offside trap, setting up Vinicius on the left, who, in turn, provided an assist to Bellingham. From the edge of the box, Bellingham effortlessly curled the ball inside the far post.
This goal marked Bellingham’s 10th in 11 games this season and made him only the second Real Madrid player to score in his first three Champions League games, a feat previously achieved by Christian Karembeu in 1998.
Sporting Braga did manage to pull one back in the 63rd minute when Álvaro Djaló capitalized on a defensive error and found the net. However, Madrid held on, thanks in large part to two exceptional saves by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, securing their third consecutive win in the group stage.
Vinicius summed up the match, stating, “We had to endure more challenges than expected towards the end, but that’s typical in away matches, especially in the Champions League. The crucial thing is that we secured the win. We played well, though we could have added more goals. The bottom line is that we’ve won all three group games so far. Let’s maintain this winning streak.”
Under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid leads the group with nine points, followed by Napoli, who secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against the bottom-placed Union Berlin, who are yet to earn a point. Sporting Braga holds third place in the group with three points.
