- Real Madrid beat Napoli 4-2 on Tuesday night to secure the top spot in Champions League Group C
- The 14-times champions, who had already secured qualification to the last 16, maintained their 100% record and have 15 points from five games
La Liga giants Real Madrid beat Napoli 4-2 on Tuesday night to secure the top spot in Champions League Group C. Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham scored a goal each in the six-goal thriller at Santiago Bernabeu. However, Napoli levelled and Carlo Ancelotti had to rely on two late goals from teenager Nico Paz and Joselu to win the match.
The 14-times champions, who had already secured qualification to the last 16, maintained their 100% record and have 15 points from five games. Napoli are eight points behind Real Madrid and three points in front of Braga, who drew 1-1 at home against last-place Union Berlin in the other Group C fixture.
Jude Bellingham scored and provided an assist as Real Madrid beat Napoli. Photo/ Eurosport.
Napoli will host Braga in the final round to try to secure its spot in the knockout stage. A draw is the least they need if they are to advance to the knockout stages.
How Real Madrid Beat Napoli
Real Madrid hosted Napoli at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night looking to continue their impressive performance from last weekend’s victory over Cadiz. However, the Santiago was silenced nine minutes into the match as Giovanni Di Lorenzo latched onto Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s pass to tee up Giovanni Simeone who opened the scoring from close range.
At first sight it looked like the ball had been saved by goalkeeper Andryi Lunin but the referee let the goal stand as the goal-line technology confirmed that the ball had fractionally crossed the line.
The silence at the Santiago Bernabeu turned into roar barely two minutes later as Rodrygo equalized for Real Madrid. Brahim Diaz drove forward before passing the ball to Rodrygo who found the top corner from a brilliant strike. It was the Brazilian’s sixth goal in the last four matches with Madrid.
The hosts went ahead in the 22nd minute, this time the goalscorer being Jude Bellingham. David Alaba was afforded too much space and time which allowed him to find the England international in the box with a superb long pass. Bellingham made no mistake as he directed his diving header past the goalkeeper.
The former Borussia Dortmund man has now scored 15 goals in his 16 appearances for Real Madrid. It was also his fifth goal in the last five matches and Carlo Ancelotti had words of praise for him.
“He (Bellingham) is spectacular in getting into the box, he comes into the box like a motorbike. It’s surprising because nobody could have imagined such fast adaptation here, to this club and the football he is showing. He surprises the fans, team mates and even rivals.” BBC Sports quotes Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid played some scintillating football after Bellingham’s goal and Napoli’s backline was carved open again by a blistering play from Rodrygo on the half-hour mark. However, Brahim couldn’t find the back of the net as he dragged his effort wide.
Napoli came back after the break with the aim of finding a goal as soon as possible and they did so in the 47th minute. Zambo Anguissa’s driven pass from the right side hit Dani Ceballos and bounced back into the midfielder’s path who made no mistake smashing into the top corner from a very tight angle.
Real Madrid beat Napoli 4-2 on Tuesday night. Photo/ FC Barcelona Noticias.
Unlike in the first half, Napoli managed to avoid conceding immediately after scoring. However, Real Madrid kept pushing and after several wasted chances, they eventually took the lead in the 84th minute. It was academy midfielder Nico Paz who scored a stunner from outside the box.
Joselu then sealed the victory four minutes into stoppage time off a pass by Bellingham. He apologized to the fans at the Bernabeu while celebrating after having missed a few good chances earlier in the match.
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