UCL: Real Madrid thrash Salzburg 5-1, book knock out stage spot
Real Madrid secured a commanding 5-1 victory over visiting Red Bull Salzburg in the seventh round of the Champions League group stage, held at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
This triumph elevates Real Madrid’s tally to 12 points, placing them 16th in the rankings and confirming their spot in the knockout stages.
They now have a chance to finish among the top eight teams depending on the final round results.
Meanwhile, Salzburg remains stuck at 3 points, holding the 34th position.
Rodrygo opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 23rd minute, capitalizing on an assist from Jude Bellingham.
Just over 10 minutes later, in the 34th minute, Rodrygo doubled the lead with a stunning finish, thanks to a clever backheel pass from Bellingham.
Shortly after halftime, in the 48th minute, Kylian Mbappe extended the advantage to three, pouncing on an error by Salzburg’s goalkeeper.
Real’s dominance continued in the 55th minute when Vinicius Jr. added a fourth goal after latching onto a through ball from Luka Modric.
The fifth goal came in the 77th minute as Vinicius Jr. completed his brace. A swift counterattack saw Federico Valverde deliver a pinpoint pass to Vinicius, who outmaneuvered the defenders before finishing brilliantly.
Salzburg managed to pull one back in the 85th minute through Mads Bidstrup, but it was little more than a consolation.
