UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid traveled to the Gewiss Stadium for their crucial Matchday 6 clash with Atalanta on Tuesday night, December 10. Having lost three of their previous five matches, Madrid needed to bring maximum points from their trip to Lomardy to boost their chances of qualifying for the Round of 16.
Serie A leaders Atalanta, who had not lost in their previous 14 games in all competitions, did not make it easy for the All-Whites. They pushed and probed throughout the game, even amassing a considerably higher xG than Real Madrid (2.94 vs 1.57). But ultimately, they came up short, losing 3-2 to the 15-time European champions.
Kylian Mbappe Hands Real Madrid the Perfect Start
Carlo Ancelotti ensured that his men knew what the objective was on Tuesday. They knew they needed to win, and the first 15 minutes showed how much they wanted it. After making inroads a couple of times into the Atalanta third, Real Madrid put their noses in front in the 10th minute, with Kylian Mbappe applying the finishing touch.
The Frenchman brilliantly opened up his body to receive the ball from Brahim Diaz, barged into the box, and applied a thumping finish to find the back of the net. Four minutes later, Mbappe got on the end of another brilliant counter-attack but Marco Carnesecchi refused to be beaten.
Mbappe looked to be in excellent form against Atalanta, but an unfortunate muscle pull kept him from continuing. After Mbappe came off in the 36th minute, Madrid lost a lot of momentum, which allowed Atalanta to get back. In first-half stoppage time, Mario Pasalic cleverly won a penalty after drawing a foul from Aurelien Tchouameni. Charles De Ketelaere dispatched a clean penalty to beat Thibaut Courtois and make it 1-1 at the Gewiss Stadium.
Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham’s Goals Secure Win Over Atalanta
Having just from a thigh injury, Vinicius Jr. did not look at his best against Atalanta. However, he still managed to make a decisive contribution when an opportunity presented itself in the second half. In the 56th minute, Diaz tried to slide Vinicius Jr. through on goal. Atalanta blocked his pass but a lucky deflection ensured the ball fell nicely to Vinicius Jr., who was ahead of all defenders in the box. The Brazilian took the ball in his stride and applied a comfortable finish to make it 2-1.
Three minutes after Vinicius Jr.’s strike, Jude Bellingham scored a brilliant goal with his left foot to double Real Madrid’s lead. Despite conceding two goals in quick succession, Atalanta did not throw in the towel. They committed men forward in search of a lifeline, and in the 65th minute, the move paid off. From a narrow angle, Ademola Lookman dispatched a thunderous shot to beat Courtois at his near post.
Atalanta thought they had equalized in the fourth minute of added time when Lookman floated a perfect cross for Mateo Retegui to attack. The Italian managed to make contact with the delivery but sent it wide from close range, allowing Madrid to breathe a sigh of relief.
The victory allowed Madrid to climb from 24th place to 18th in the Champions League rankings. Atalanta, meanwhile, slipped down to ninth place.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
