In a comeback victory, Real Madrid defeated Napoli in a clash between the two best teams in Group C.
Rodrygo and Bellingham once again put on stellar performances at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Join us as we review this beautiful match.
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Index
Real Madrid vs Napoli
On the evening of this past Wednesday (29/11/2023), Real Madrid and Napoli faced each other in the penultimate round of the Champions League group stage.
The Merengues were already through to the next stage, yet they were aware of the importance of maintaining a 100% record in the competition they dominate.
Napoli, on the other hand, had their qualification almost secured, although Braga’s dream of advancing to the knockout stage was not entirely ruled out.
The Neapolitan side faces the Portuguese in a do-or-die match on the final matchday. They’ll rely on their supporters at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on December 12th.
The match itself was packed with goals and twists.
Just 9 minutes into the game, Kvaratskhelia crosses to the far post. The splendid pass meets Di Lorenzo, who was speeding in. The Italian serves Simeone, who slots it home. It could have been an outstanding save by Lunin, but unfortunately for the Madrid goalkeeper, the ball had completely crossed the goal line.
However, as mentioned in the article about the Milan vs Borussia Dortmund match, the Champions League often sees turnarounds due to the intensity of the games.
Just two minutes later, Brahim Diaz launches a swift counter-attack and passes to Rodrygo. The Rayo, previously criticized for not scoring as many goals as expected, once again found the back of the net, silencing the critics.
In his trademark move, he cuts inside the box and fires a brilliantly placed shot into Meret’s top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
Image: Manu Fernandez
During the celebration, Real Madrid players grabbed the ball and hurried towards the halfway line, eager to restart the game swiftly, showcasing a strong determination to turn it around.
And so it was. At the 21st minute, it was Bellingham, the illuminated one, as aptly described by Brazilian commentator Rogério Vaugh, who received Alaba’s pinpoint cross.
The young English gem of Real Madrid, true to his striking abilities, heads the ball past Napoli’s goalkeeper, turning the game around.
Image: Manu Fernandez
The Merengues had chances to extend their lead in the first half. On a counter-attack led by Rodrygo, who nutmegs a Napoli player and passes to Brahim Diaz, the midfielder’s shot goes wide.
Napoli came back strong in the second half. Just 46 minutes in, Anguissa receives the ball in the box and attempts a cross. Real Madrid’s defense clears it, but it returns to the Cameroonian, who strikes the ball with power, almost from an impossible angle.
Anguissa’s audacious move was rewarded with a stunning goal, igniting the game.
Image: Reproduction from https://www.melitonline.net/giornale/champions-league-napoli-ci-siamo-quasi/
From then on, Real Madrid regained control and piled up chances to reclaim the lead.
Joselu, who came on during the game, missed at least three very clear goal-scoring opportunities.
The situation was settled by the young Nico Paz. The 19-year-old, who replaced Brahim Diaz at 65 minutes, received a pass from Rüdiger at the midfield at the 83rd minute, made a beautiful turn, and unleashed a low shot from outside the box.
The bouncing ball confused goalkeeper Meret, who had been having a good game but faltered in this instance.
In added time, Jude Bellingham added another assist to his statistics. He provided a lovely trivela pass that found Joselu on the other side of the box.
This time, the Merengue striker made no mistake and hammered the ball home to seal a 4-2 victory for the home team, maintaining their 100% record.
Rodrygo the top scorer
As mentioned earlier, various news portals and a small portion of the fan base of the biggest club in the world were discontent with the goal drought of the Brazilian player.
However, focused as he is, the “Boy from Vila” remained concentrated on delivering a good performance, knowing that goals would naturally come due to his incredible goal-scoring abilities.
Thus, he has already accumulated 6 goals in the last 4 matches, having scored in each one of them.
With Vinicius Jr absent, Rodrygo must take the responsibility to find the net. He clearly relies on the assistance of Bellingham, who continues to do his job. But with Benzema no longer present, the responsibility also falls on the Rayo to score.
With yesterday’s goal, he further solidifies his place in the history of the Merengues.
He now has 18 goals for the club in the Champions League, surpassing Vinicius Jr, his friend and teammate. Additionally, he enters the top 10 goal-scorers in Real Madrid’s history in the Champions League.
As if that wasn’t enough, he is the fourth-highest Brazilian scorer for Real, with 45 goals, trailing only Vini Jr, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldo.
Rodrygo continues on a steep rise, which is fantastic for this colossal club and all those who love football.
Image: Juan Medina/Reuters
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
