Digimagaz.com – In a thrilling encounter on the third matchday of the 2023/2024 Champions League season. Real Madrid emerged victorious against Braga with a score of 2-1. The match, held at Estadio Municipal de Braga in the early hours of Wednesday. Saw goals from Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham securing Real Madrid’s win, while Braga managed to pull one back courtesy of Alvaro Djalo. With this result, Real Madrid now stands firmly at the top of Group C with 9 points. While Braga currently occupies the third position with 3 points.
The encounter marked the first-ever meeting between Braga and Real Madrid. And it got off to a relatively slow start with not many dangerous attacks from both sides during the opening 10 minutes. Real Madrid took the lead in the 16th minute through a goal by Rodrygo.
The play started with an excellent run by Vinicius Junior down the left flank. And Rodrygo was in the right place at the right time to convert the resulting cross into a goal. Following this goal, the game returned to a somewhat monotonous rhythm. And the score remained 1-0 in favor of Real Madrid as the first half concluded.
Returning from the break, Real Madrid made efforts to increase their aggressiveness. And it paid off when Jude Bellingham extended the lead for the visiting team in the 61st minute. Bellingham’s low shot proved too difficult for Braga’s goalkeeper, Matheus, to reach. Just two minutes later, Braga managed to reduce the deficit thanks to a goal by Djalo. Starting from an attack down the right side, Djalo unleashed a shot that eluded Kepa Arrizabalaga’s attempts to block it.
This goal acted as a catalyst for Braga to intensify their offensive efforts. Ricardo Horta came close to equalizing in the 70th minute, but his attempt was thwarted by Kepa. In the 82nd minute, Vinicius thought he had scored another goal, but it was subsequently disallowed due to an offside call. The final score of 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid was ultimately the outcome of this exciting match.
Lineups
Braga
Matheus; Josafat Mendes (Diogo Fonseca 73′), Serdar Saatci, Sikou Niakate, Cristian Borja; Vitor Carvalho (Bruma 66′), Al Musrati (Joao Moutinho 78′); Alvaro Djalo, Rodrigo Zalazar, Ricardo Horta; Simon Banza (Abel Ruiz 67′).
Coach: Artur Jorge.
Real Madrid
Kepa Arrizabalaga; Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Nacho, Fran Garcia (Ferland Mendy 75′); Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric; Jude Bellingham (Lucas Vazquez 90′); Rodrygo (Aurelien Tchouameni 71′), Vinicius Junior.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid’s victory solidified their position at the top of Group C, making them strong contenders for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Meanwhile, Braga faces the challenge of regrouping and improving their performance to advance in the competition. Football fans around the world can anticipate more thrilling encounters as the Champions League continues to unfold in the 2023/2024 season.
