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It just so happened: demolition of Salzburg to stay firmly in the top 24

Real Madrid hosted RB Salzburg at the Bernabéu for their third consecutive home game in as many competitions, each of which, perhaps, carries 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 constant improvement in their performance. However, for the first 20 minutes here, Madrid struggled for fluidity in attack, lacking cohesion and their defensive line repeatedly tested by Salzburg’s intensity. More than once, only desperate, last-minute interventions kept the visitors at bay. The Bernabéu, which was never shy about expressing its verdict, expressed its discontent with whistles that echoed through the stands.

Madrid’s star-studded front four (Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo) took control, injecting urgency and precision into their play. A clever exchange between Mbappé and Vinícius opened up the Salzburg defence, allowing Rodrygo to apply a composed finish for the first time in the 24th minute to put Madrid ahead. He enjoyed it so much that he repeated the action from the opposite flank, this time benefiting from a sublime one-touch assist from Bellingham. By half-time Madrid had found their rhythm and their quality shone through as they headed into the break with a 2-0 lead.

Real Madrid tightened control of the match at the start of the second half, doubling their lead in the 55th minute. First came an instinctive and opportunistic shot from Kylian Mbappé immediately after the restart, taking advantage of a loose ball to extend Madrid’s lead . Then a flash of individual brilliance from Vinícius Júnior, beating defenders in his trademark style before finishing clinically, sealed the result, with Luka Modrić providing the assist. With the match effectively settled, Carlo Ancelotti made his first changes around the hour mark, bringing on David Alaba and Arda Güler in place of Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham. Brahim and Endrick were also introduced to give Mbappé and Rodrygo some rest.

Vinicius Jr added the fifth in the 76th minute, with an absolutely ice-cold shot with his left foot. Fede Valverde took the ball from deep and gave the perfectly weighted assist to Vinicius. Salzburg added a late consolation goal to deprive Courtois of a clean sheet.

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