Kylian Mbappe scored his 50th Champions League goal while Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham were also on target as Real Madrid secured a much-needed win against Atalanta.
The Spanish giants have struggled in Europe this year, having lost three of their five games before Tuesday’s match in Italy.
Consequently they needed a victory to improve their chances of progressing to the knockout stage, which they got that with this confidence-boosting display.
France international Mbappe got the ball rolling with a goal in the 10th minute, breaking clear of his marker before finishing smartly.
It was his 12th goal since joining Real in the summer and he should have had a second later in the first half when he charged through the middle, but his shot from outside the box was saved.
However, the away side were dealt a blow nine minutes before half time when Mbappe appeared to suffer an injury and, although he was able to walk off the pitch, he was replaced by Rodrygo.
Atalanta then equalised on the stroke of half time when Charles De Ketelaere scored a penalty after Sead Kolasinac went down inside the box.
Real battled back after the break as Vinicius Jr found the bottom corner with a neat finish on his return from a hamstring injury before Bellingham fired home for his first goal in the Champions League this season.
Ademola Lookman gave Atalanta hope with his 11th goal of the season, whipping a shot in at the near post, but Real held off late pressure to take three crucial points.
The win moved Real up to 18th in the 36-team league and three points off the top eight, who qualify automatically for the knockout stage.
Atalanta, meanwhile, are ninth on 11 points.
Important win for Real, but concern over Mbappe
Mbappe has struggled to hit the heights he reached at Paris St-Germain since joining Real in the summer, but he looked up for this game from the outset.
The forward’s clever runs in behind were stretching and panicking the Atalanta defence, and his goal served as a reminder of the incredible talent he possesses.
He has scored 50 goals in 79 appearances in the Champions League, becoming the second-youngest player (25 years and 356 days) to reach this figure in the competition after Lionel Messi in 2012 (24 years and 284 days).
His performance made the injury he suffered all the more concerning, although Real fans will be encouraged he was able to go off unaided.
They will be hoping he will not be added to an injury list that already features Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga.
“Mbappe has some discomfort in his hamstrings. It doesn’t seem serious but we’ll see [on Wednesday],” said Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
“He couldn’t sprint, it hurt him a bit and we thought it best to replace him.”
Oh wow, another match where Real Madrid won, how original! I mean, it’s not like they were struggling or anything. I guess scoring goals is just like riding a bike for them? And Mbappe, what a shocker, he scored again. You’d think he’d save his energy for the big games, but who am I to judge? Injuries are totally overrated, right? Just walk it off! Can’t wait for the next ‘thrilling’ installment of Real Madrid’s quest to remember how to play football!
Wow, did anyone see that game? Real Madrid actually decided to show up! It’s like they remembered they’re supposed to be good at this whole Champions League thing. Who knew Kylian Mbappe could score goals? Shocking news! And let’s not forget Vinicius Jr—back from injury and suddenly a goal machine. I mean, what else can we expect from a team that has more injuries than wins this season? Atalanta must be shaking in their boots after witnessing this legendary performance!
Oh great, more drama with Mbappe’s injury! Because that’s exactly what Real Madrid needs right now—a star player who can’t stay on the pitch. But hey, at least he managed to score before his ‘unserious’ injury! And what’s up with Atalanta getting all cozy with penalties? They really know how to ruin a party! Honestly though, does anyone care about the standings when we have players tripping over their own feet and still managing to score? It’s comedy gold!
Right?! It’s like watching a circus act out there. One moment you think they’re going for gold and the next they’re tripping over themselves like they’re auditioning for some ridiculous reality show. What is it about this team that screams ‘we can’t handle pressure’? And yet here we are cheering them on because that’s how low our standards have dropped as fans.
‘Exciting football’ my foot! More like watching paint dry while praying someone will do something remotely interesting. Seriously though, what are they feeding these players—overcooked pasta and bad juju? I’d pay good money to see an actual strategy instead of hoping for Mbappe to magically fix everything every time he touches the ball!
‘Oh look! Another Kylian Mbappe highlight reel!’ said no one ever when discussing his injury-prone escapades at Real Madrid. It’s almost cute how every time he scores someone holds their breath waiting for him to limp off the field like it’s part of some twisted fairy tale. Let’s just hope his hamstring holds up longer than their defense did against Atalanta!
‘Real Madrid’s winning streak continues!’ Well isn’t that just peachy? A team filled with stars barely scraping by while giving fans heart palpitations every week—what an exhilarating ride this is! Why do we keep watching this again? Oh right, because we love self-inflicted misery paired with glorious moments of sheer disbelief when things actually go right… sometimes.