Real Madrid found their Champions League swagger on Wednesday, putting five past a helpless Red Bull Salzburg in a dominant win that has them well positioned to guarentee a knockout spot. Vinicius Jr turned a poor first half into a dominant second, while Rodrygo bagged a brace in a statement 5-1 victory.
Rodrygo opened the scoring after an admittedly flat Madrid start. It came thanks to a sweeping move, Kylian Mbappe finding Vinicius, whose long ball deflected kindly into the path of his wide open Brazil team-mate, who couldn't miss from the back post. His second was sublime, meanwhile - a Jude Bellingham no-look backheel assist setting up an audacious curler to give Madrid a 2-0 advantage.
Salzburg gifted Madrid a third early in the second half as Mbappe closed down goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, who surrendered the ball in his own six-yard box, handing the Frenchman an easy finish into an open net. Vinicius made it 4-0 just short of the hour mark with a signature far-post finish and scored another after 77 minutes after a silly twist followed by easy slot into the corner. Salzburg then grabbed themselves a well-worked consolation that will serve as nothing more than a minor annoyance for the hosts as they kept their slim hopes of qualifying automatically for the last 16 alive.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu...
