Real Madrid secured a commanding 5-1 win over RB Salzburg in their Champions League clash on Wednesday, effectively reviving their hopes of progressing in the competition.
The Spanish giants had been struggling in the group stages, having lost three of their first six matches, putting their qualification at risk. However, the emphatic victory over Salzburg ensured they would avoid an early exit.
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes both scored twice, while Kylian Mbappe also found the back of the net in a dominant performance at the Santiago Bernabeu. The win moved Real Madrid up to 16th place in the group, just one point behind Bayer Leverkusen, who occupy the final spot for direct qualification to the next round.
In the first half, Rodrygo opened the scoring after 23 minutes, taking advantage of a precise cross from Jude Bellingham. The Brazilian winger, who has been in superb form recently, then added a second goal, finishing off a brilliant backheel assist from Bellingham with a perfectly placed curling shot.
Just after the break, Mbappe extended Madrid’s lead to 3-0, pouncing on a mistake by Salzburg’s goalkeeper Janis Blaswich. The French forward continued his strong performances after a slow start to his time at Madrid. Soon after, Vinicius Junior added a fourth goal, driving home a powerful shot across Blaswich with a well-timed assist from veteran Luka Modric.
Vinicius then completed his brace with another composed finish after a fast break, with Fede Valverde setting him up for the goal. Real Madrid’s fluid attacking play was evident as they scored their fifth and final goal of the match.
Salzburg managed to pull one back late in the game through Mads Bidstrup’s volley, but the goal proved to be little more than a consolation. Real Madrid’s defense continued to show weaknesses, as they have conceded in every Champions League match this season.
