The two strongest teams of Group C, Real Madrid and Napoli, faced off on Matchday 2 of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season. Under the floodlights at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli took the fight to Los Blancos, but the 14-time European champions simply had too much in their locker.
Jude Bellingham Was Real Madrid’s Leading Light
Real Madrid started the game on the front foot on Tuesday night (October 3) but poor defending allowed the hosts to put their noses in front in the 19th minute. In the 19th minute, Natan outjumped Kepa Arrizabalaga to meet Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner-kick delivery from the left side. His effort clattered against the crossbar and came back into play, allowing Leo Ostigard to head in the rebound. Despite conceding a cheap goal early on, Madrid did not lose their cool and bounced back swiftly in the 27th minute through an effortless Vinicius Junior strike. Jude Bellingham was at the heart of the goal, with him barging into the Napoli box from the left before finding Vinicius with an unselfish pass.
Seven minutes after assisting Madrid’s equalizer, Bellingham scored a sensational solo goal to give the visitors the lead. Picking the ball just inside the opposition half, the Englishman went on a mazy run, effortlessly evading challenges from Napoli defenders. The 20-year-old topped off the move with a sublime curling effort, finding the bottom-right corner with ease. Courtesy of his complete performance, Bellingham was chosen as the Man Of The Match by UEFA.
Character.#HalaMadrid 🤍 pic.twitter.com/1KS2DSrozQ
— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) October 3, 2023
Real Madrid Were Ruthlessly Penalized By VAR
After a relatively comfortable first half, Real Madrid looked destined for a straightforward victory in Italy. The VAR, however, had other ideas. In the 50th minute, Nacho lunged in to take the ball away from Victor Osimhen inside the box, unintentionally handling it during the challenge. Napoli players surrounded the referee appealing for a handball, which was shockingly confirmed after a lengthy VAR review. The referee awarded a penalty to Napoli, which Piotr Zielinski put away with ease.
The harsh verdict, however, did not discourage Madrid, with them piling more and more bodies forward in search of the winner. The goal finally arrived in the 78th minute, courtesy of an unstoppable strike from Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan dispatched an absolute thunderbolt from 25 yards out which took a deflection of Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret’s head and nestled into the back of the net. It went down as a Meret own goal, but the keeper could do very little to keep it out.
The Merengues thoroughly dictated play in the last 17 minutes (including 5 minutes of injury time) of the game and deservedly walked away with a 3-2 victory. Having won both of their UEFA Champions League Group C matches, Real Madrid currently sit at the top of the table with six points. Napoli, meanwhile, remain in second position with three points.
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