Real Madrid secured their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League by defeating Braga with a 3-0 win.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 win against Braga from Portugal. Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo were the goal scorers for the Spanish team, allowing them to advance with two group games still to play.

Carlo Ancelotti, the actual manager, decided to give some regular starting players, including the leading goal scorer Jude Bellingham with a shoulder injury, a break. However, the team, who have won the championship 14 times, remained unbeaten and now sit at the top of Group C with a perfect record of 12 points from four matches.

By earning a single point in their next match against Napoli at home, they have the possibility of claiming the leading position.

The champions of Italy currently hold the second position with a total of seven points, placing them four points ahead of Braga in third place. On the other hand, Union Berlin is at the bottom of the rankings with only one point, having obtained a draw of 1-1 against Napoli earlier in the day on Wednesday.

Real Madrid had a nerve-wracking start as Lucas Vazquez, from their team, held Cristian Borja, a defender from Braga, inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty being awarded against them in the fourth minute.
Nonetheless, Andriy Lunin, the goalkeeper who was chosen unexpectedly to start for Real, replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga due to an injury during warm-up, deflected a feeble attempt from Alvaro Djalo from the penalty spot.

Vazquez made a strong challenge on Bruma, the winger, inside the penalty area in the 20th minute. This action had the potential to result in another penalty for Real and a second yellow card for Vazquez if the referee deemed it to be a foul, causing Braga players to voice their frustration.
Nevertheless, he was pardoned and subsequently Real assumed dominance over the match. Diaz, whose previous goal was disallowed due to a foul during the play progression, broke the deadlock by swiftly striking the ball from a short distance in the 27th minute. Rodrygo provided assistance by delivering a well-executed low cross.

In the 55th minute, Diaz had the opportunity to increase their advantage, but the goalkeeper Matheus saved the Spanish midfielder’s back-to-back attempts from a short distance to prevent them from scoring.
In order to assist Braga in staying in the game, Matheus blocked a shot by Rodrygo near the edge of the penalty area. However, Vinicius Jr increased the lead in the 58th minute by receiving a pass from Vazquez and skillfully scoring from inside the penalty area.

Just three minutes after that, Vinicius initiated a swift offensive and passed the ball to his fellow countryman Rodrygo, who skillfully scored by delicately lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper to ensure the outcome.
“I am extremely pleased. The game was flawless with three goals, and we managed to keep the opponent from scoring any goals. I am delighted about scoring a goal, providing an assist, and above all, thrilled about our victory and qualification, which was the utmost priority,” stated Rodrygo, who was named the man of the match, during the Movistar Plus interview.

In our team, we possess a significant amount of talent that runs deep. When we perform well, it becomes challenging for any opponent to stop us from scoring. Today’s game went exceptionally well, and we are hopeful that this success will carry on into our future matches.