Real Madrid ease past Braga to reach Champions League last 16
14-time champions Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Braga, maintaining their impeccable record in the competition.
The Spanish giants saw Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo Goes find the back of the net, securing their progress from Group C even in the absence of their top goalscorer, Jude Bellingham.
Both Brazilian wingers, Vinicius and Rodrygo, who had faced criticism for their lack of goals earlier in the season, responded emphatically with their classy finishes, contributing to Real Madrid's success after Diaz opened the scoring.
With four wins from four games, Real Madrid sits atop the group with 12 points, ahead of Napoli, who are in second place with seven points following a 1-1 draw against the bottom team, Union Berlin.
Real Madrid's victory was marred by an injury to goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga during the warm-up, with Andriy Lunin stepping in to replace him. The Ukrainian goalkeeper immediately made his presence felt by diving to his right and making a brilliant save to deny Alvaro Djalo's penalty in the sixth minute. While Lucas Vazquez had conceded the penalty by fouling Cristian Borja in the area, Braga failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Despite having a goal ruled out for a foul by Vinicius, Diaz didn't have to wait long for another valid one. He was sent through on the left side of the area, where Rodrygo cut the ball back to him. Diaz fired into the roof of the net from close range to break the deadlock. This goal was celebrated with sarcasm, as Diaz drew a VAR screen as if to challenge the officials to disallow it.
Diaz, playing in Bellingham's usual attacking midfield role, impressed with his performance and was a key figure in most of Real Madrid's attacking moves. Meanwhile, Bellingham, who had scored 13 times in 14 games since joining in the summer, watched from the bench as manager Carlo Ancelotti allowed him to recover from a shoulder injury sustained in a draw against Rayo.
Diaz had an opportunity to score again but was denied by a superb double save from Benfica goalkeeper Matheus early in the second half.
Vinicius found the net before the hour mark with clever movement and footwork in the box, followed by a smooth low finish. It marked his fourth goal of the season across all competitions, a number considered low by his standards. However, Ancelotti has predicted that both Vinicius and Rodrygo will outscore Bellingham by the end of the campaign.
Rodrygo added Madrid's third goal with an exquisite chipped finish after a setup from Vinicius. In celebration, he embraced Ancelotti on the sideline. Ancelotti had urged patience for his dynamic attacking duo, and they responded by delivering goals that delighted the Santiago Bernabeu.
The hug between Rodrygo and Ancelotti was an expression of gratitude, as Rodrygo explained, "We have to judge people when we're not in a good moment, then you see who they really are. I wasn't in a good moment, the coach was always with me, always supporting me, saying good things—I was obliged to score and to go and thank him."
In stoppage time, Lunin made a brilliant save to thwart former Barcelona striker Abel Ruiz's header and preserve Real Madrid's clean sheet, ensuring it was a nearly perfect night at both ends of the pitch.
SportsLigue