Real Madrid welcomed RB Salzburg to the Bernabéu for their third successive home game across as many competitions—each, perhaps, carrying its own weight of importance in the eyes of Madridistas. The first two, against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey and Las Palmas in LaLiga, saw a steady improvement in performance. Yet, for the opening 20 minutes here, Madrid struggled for fluency in attack, their cohesion absent, their defensive line repeatedly tested by Salzburg’s intensity. More than once, only desperate last-ditch interventions kept the visitors at bay. The Bernabéu, never shy in expressing its verdict, voiced its discontent with whistles echoing around the stands.
Madrid’s star-studded front four—Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo—seized control, injecting urgency and precision into their play. A slick exchange between Mbappé and Vinícius unlocked Salzburg’s defence, allowing Rodrygo to apply a composed first-time finish in the 24th minute to put Madrid ahead. He enjoyed it so much that he repeated the act from the opposite flank, this time benefitting from a sublime one-touch assist by Bellingham. By half-time, Madrid had found their rhythm, their quality shining through as they headed into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.
Real Madrid tightened their grip on the contest early in the second half, doubling their lead by the 55th minute. First came an instinctive, opportunistic finish from Kylian Mbappé straight after the restart, pouncing on a loose ball to extend Madrid’s advantage. Then, a flash of individual brilliance from Vinícius Júnior—gliding past defenders with trademark flair before finishing clinically—sealed the result, with Luka Modrić providing the assist. With the game effectively settled, Carlo Ancelotti made his first changes around the hour mark, introducing David Alaba and Arda Güler in place of Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham. Brahim and Endrick were also introduced to provide some rest to Mbappe and Rodrygo.
Vinicius Jr added the fifth on the 76th minute, an absolutely ice-cold finish with his left foot. Fede Valverde brought the ball from the deep and toe-poked the perfectly weighted assist to Vinicius. Salzburg added a consolation goal late in the game to deprive Courtois from the clean sheet.
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