Real Madrid – Atalanta 3:2 (December 10, 2024) Match analysis

Real Madrid earned a much-needed 3-2 Champions League win at Atalanta on Tuesday thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, snapping a two-game losing streak in the competition for the defending champions.

Madrid handed the Serie A leaders their first defeat in this season’s new-look Champions League after Mbappé gave them the lead with a goal from inside the box in the 10th minute before he had to be sent off due to injury.

Charles de Ketelaere equalized from a penalty after Aurelien Tchouameni brought down Sead Kolasinac from behind just before half-time, but Vinicius Junior scored a rebound in the 56th minute to put the visitors back in the lead.

Bellingham extended their lead after a counter-attack three minutes later, but Ademola Lookman reduced the deficit in the 65th minute before Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a series of saves to secure the hard-fought victory.

With two games to go, Madrid sit 18th in the 36-team table with nine points, three points behind the top eight places that ensure direct qualification for the round of 16. Atalanta is in ninth place with 11 points.

“It was a great game and we are happy that it was Real Madrid who won it,” Brahim Diaz, who prepared Mbappe for the opener, told Movistar Plus.

“We came here with self-confidence and for the players these games should show that we are made for a club like Real Madrid. This team still has a lot to give and we will give a lot more.”

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“We will take it one game at a time. We can finish with 15 points if we win the last two games and then see what happens. Things are going the way they need to go, and that’s promising.”

After a fantastic season in which they won record-breaking LaLiga and Champions League titles, Madrid have struggled to defend their European title.

They lost three of their last four continental games before traveling to Italy to face red-hot Atalanta, who were unbeaten in the competition, conceding just one goal.

Mbappé, who has come under criticism for his inconsistent start in Madrid, started the game well and forced Marco Carnesecchi into some early saves, but the goalkeeper could not stop the French captain from giving Real the lead.

He scored with a low shot from inside the box after superbly controlling a pass from Diaz with one touch to get the ball past a defender and into the box where he netted.

Everything was going well for the visitors until Mbappé had to be substituted by Rodrygo in the 35th minute due to a muscle injury.

After Antonio Rüdiger missed a passer from close range in the 39th minute, De Ketelaere fired a rocket into the top corner to equalize, but just as Atalanta were gaining confidence after the break, they gifted Vinícius a rebound which he took didn’t miss.

Bellingham made it 3-1 minutes later, but after Lookman fired a low shot from the edge of the box into the goal, Courtois made decisive saves from Raoul Bellanova, Mateo Retegui, Matteo Ruggeri and Lazar Samardzic to secure victory.