Jude Bellingham’s electric start to life at Real Madrid continued as he scored in a 2-1 Champions League win at Braga.
2023/2024 UEFA Champions League
1-2
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
16' GOAL! Braga 0-1 Real Madrid (Rodrygo)
26' CLOSE! Rüdiger makes timely block
34' Horta fires his shot into the sky
45' CLOSE! Djaló’s shot wide out
52' ClOSE! Bellingham’s shot saved by Goalkeeper!
61' GOAL! Braga 1-2 Real Madrid (Jude Bellingham)
61' CHANCE! Carvaja's header over the bar
63' GOAL! Braga 1-2 Real Madrid (Álvaro Djaló)
72' Yellow Card! Eduardo Camavinga booked
72' SAVE! Fine stop from world-class Kepa
Match Report
The precocious England international scored his 11th goal in 12 games for his new club as Madrid took control of Group C, making it three wins out of three.
Rodrygo put Madrid ahead in the first half before Bellingham doubled the lead on the hour, with Alvaro Djalo getting the Portuguese side back in it.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) October 24, 2023
Los Blancos had chances to kill the game off but were made to sweat, with victory putting them on the verge of qualification for the knockout stage.
The visitors were under the cosh in the opening exchanges as Braga started well.
But they weathered the storm and took a 16th-minute lead with a goal that saw them go from back to front in a flash.
Nacho’s long ball set Vinicius Junior free down the left, he beat his marker and squared for Rodrygo to slide home at the near post.
Braga still asked questions and Al-Musrati almost levelled when a corner fell to him at the far post but his shot was deflected over.
Bellingham scored his 11th goal of the season
Madrid showed it only took a moment to cut their hosts open and Vinicius tested Lukas Hornicek’s handling with a shot, while the Brazilian also missed a good chance when Bellingham slipped him in.
Bellingham was involved early on in the second half and fired a warning shot as he controlled Vincius’ cross on his chest and sent in a fierce left-footed half-volley, but Hornicek was equal to it and tipped it over.
There was nothing he could do about the former Borussia Dortmund man’s effort in the 61st minute as Bellingham controlled Vinicius’s pass on the edge of the area and coolly stroked home into the bottom corner.
If Madrid thought the game was safe they were mistaken as just three minutes later Braga hit back.
Everyone is talking about… pic.twitter.com/wvKpJ6alXr
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 24, 2023
Simon Banza played in Djalo, who was given too much space and fired into the roof of the net.
Vinicius thought he had killed the game as he raced clear and converted in the final 10 minutes but VAR ruled it out for a marginal offside.
It meant Carlo Ancellotti’s side faced a nervy few minutes, but they held on to continue their 100 per cent record.
Line-ups
Braga XI: Matheus, Ricardo Horta, Musrati, Simon Banza, Cristián Borja, Vitor Carvalho, Sikou Niakaté, Rodrigo Zalazar, Álvaro Djaló, Serdar Saatci, Joe Mendes
Subs: Fonte, Castro, Moutinho, Pizzi, Oliveira, Bruma, Lopes, Marin, André Horta, Abel Ruiz, Lukas Hornicek, Diogo Fonseca
Real Madrid XI: Modric, Nacho, Carvajal, Rudiger, Kepa, Valverde, Fran García, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham
Subs: Kroos, Alaba, Vazquez, F Mendy, Brahim, Andriy Lunin, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Diego Piñeiro