Madrid – Brazilian stars Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes each scored twice, leading Real Madrid to a crushing 5-1 victory over Salzburg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
With this performance, Vinicius Jr reached a remarkable milestone by scoring his 100th goal for the club, becoming the second Brazilian to achieve this feat after Ronaldo.
In Prague, Inter Milan claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Sparta, thanks to a solitary goal from Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez.
The ‘Toro’ etched his name in history by reaching 14 goals in the UEFA Champions League, becoming the top scorer in the club’s history in this competition.
Vinicius and Rodrygo shine in Madrid
Real Madrid dominated Salzburg with a final score of 5-1, securing at least a place in the Champions League qualifying round.
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Vinicius Jr was the home team’s standout player, contributing with two goals, while Rodrygo also played a significant role in the team’s victory.
Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a close-range shot following a pass from Jude Bellingham. Just nine minutes later he doubled the advantage, again connecting with the Englishman, putting Madrid firmly in control of the match.
In the second half, Vinicius Jr shone, scoring the fourth goal in the 55th minute with a powerful strike from inside the box, finding the back of the net beyond the reach of Janis Blaswich.
With less than 15 minutes to play, Vinicius sealed his brace with a shot from outside the box, after receiving a perfectly measured pass from Federico Valverde. His second goal was celebrated with joy, marking his entry into the ‘centenarians’ club, becoming the second Brazilian after Ronaldo to reach this milestone.
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-“I’m very happy to score goals in this shirt; I’m three goals short of equaling Ronaldo (103) for the most goals by a Brazilian at Real Madrid,” Vinicius said in a post-match interview.
Vinicius played the entire match, tallying seven goals and one assist in his six appearances in the current Champions League season, winning the game’s MVP award.
Despite his stellar performance, Vinicius expressed his surprise, admitting: “I felt like I didn’t play well in the first half, especially with a card that will prevent me from playing the next match.” He added: “Rodry (Rodrygo) deserved it, as did Jude (Bellingham) and many others. I’m happy with the victory and the goals, even if I felt like I played badly.”
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Lautaro Martínez achieves record performance
Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez became Inter Milan’s all-time top scorer in the Champions League by scoring the decisive goal against Sparta Prague.
Martínez’s record goal, his 14th in the competition, came in the 12th minute on a snapshot following a well-placed cross from Alessandro Bastoni.
Sporting the captain’s armband once again, Martínez played 82 minutes before being replaced.
He is on a winning streak, now scoring in three consecutive games in all competitions, taking his season tally to 11 goals and five assists in 28 appearances.
Brazilian Carlos Augusto also played in the match, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 71st minute.
The victory propelled Simone Inzaghi’s men to fourth place in the table, with a total of 16 points from seven wins, five draws and one defeat.
