Things we learned from Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid secured three points in the Champions League for the third time this season with a 2-3 win over Atalanta.

Real Madrid traveled to Italy to face an Atalanta team that is unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions. The Serie A leaders also conceded just one goal in the 2024-25 Champions League season, but were overwhelmed by Los Blancos’ superstars.

The game started with a goal from Kylian Mbappé, similar to when the two teams met in the UEFA Super Cup. Atalanta equalized from a penalty just before half-time, but Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham scored twice in three minutes in the second half. Ademola Lookman equalized for the hosts in the 65th minute, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a result against the reigning Spanish and European champions.

Here are three things we learned from Real Madrid’s Champions League victory over Atalanta.

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It seems like every game Real Madrid plays, someone leaves the pitch injured. Even when one player returns, another takes his place on the sidelines. What should have been a significant injury boost with the return of Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior turned into another nightmare when Mbappé lasted just 36 minutes against Atalanta before suffering an injury.

The Frenchman now joins Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão in the hospital ward. Although Mbappé received a lot of criticism for his slow start at Real Madrid, the 25-year-old finally started to play better. Against Atalanta he found the net within ten minutes, his fourth goal since the international break in November. Now the club has to wait anxiously to find out the extent of his injury.

Los Blancos have managed to keep the pressure on Barcelona in La Liga despite their ongoing injury woes, but how much longer can they keep up this pace across all competitions? With the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup just around the corner, along with a hectic slate of Champions League and La Liga games, Real Madrid cannot afford to lose any more players.

Just by looking at the scorers list, fans can see that Vinícius Júnior’s return from injury was a great success. The Brazilian scored Real Madrid’s second goal and set up Bellingham’s winner after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury.

However, it was his efforts throughout the 90 minutes that showed why he is one of the best players in the world, even if he is probably not fully fit. The winger leads Real Madrid’s attack and opens up the game completely. Whether he was making dangerous runs on the left wing, moving up the middle to create chances or dropping into midfield to receive the ball, Vinícius Júnior was there for the visitors everywhere.

With Mbappé injured, Real Madrid will rely on the three attackers who won La Liga and the Champions League last season: Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo. If Vinícius Júnior can achieve similar success this season, his case for the 2025 Ballon d’Or will practically write itself.

After Tchouaméni returned from injury, Ancelotti chose the Frenchman over Real Madrid Castilla star Raúl Asencio. Tchouaméni gained a lot of experience in defense last season after Éder Militão tore his cruciate ligament, and it is clear that Ancelotti trusts his ability to impress in defence.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is not a natural central defender. Sure, he played a near-perfect game against Girona at the weekend alongside Antonio Rüdiger, but European nights are very different to La Liga duels. Real Madrid were in complete control of the game against Atalanta when Tchouaméni took a clumsy, unnecessary penalty just before half-time.

Asencio may lack experience, but he has proven that he is fully capable of starting in the first team, especially with the number of injuries increasing every day. The 21-year-old is smart, physically active and is rarely beaten in his own penalty area. Ancelotti is lucky that Real Madrid took all three points, otherwise his decision to put Asencio on the pitch would have been heavily criticized.

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