Ads

Real Madrid revive Champions League title defence with hard-fought win at Atalanta

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. Photo: Reuters

Ads

Real Madrid got their Champions League title defence back up and running on Tuesday after coming through a tough battle to win 3-2 at Atalanta.

BSS/AFP

Publisted at 8:38 AM, Wed Dec 11th, 2024

Real Madrid got their Champions League title defence back up and running on Tuesday after coming through a tough battle to win 3-2 at Atalanta.

Kylian Mbappe scored his 50th Champions League goal while Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were also on target as Real Madrid managed to come out with a win from a red-hot atmosphere in Bergamo and move up to nine points from six matches.

Carlo Ancelotti's side would have been at risk of dropping out of the play-off places but came through a tough test at Serie A leaders Atalanta.

The away side are now three points from the top eight positions which give direct qualification for the last 16 with two matches remaining in their league campaign and a round of fixtures coming up on Wednesday.

Madrid inflicted on Atalanta a first defeat in this year's revamped competition and are now only two points behind Gian Piero Gasperini's ambitious team who performed well against 15-time European champions Madrid but now sit ninth.

Atalanta scored through a Charles De Ketelaere penalty which levelled Mbappe's opener in first-half stoppage time and a fine Ademola Lookman strike in the 65th minute which put the hosts back in the match after Vinicius and Bellingham's quickfire goals.

The hosts even came to within inches of snatching a dramatic draw deep in added time when substitute Retegui somehow shot over Lookman's fizzing cross from practically on the goalline.

Ads

related news