If this had to be the last time, at least they were going to enjoy it. The final Champions League group game at the home of the club that has won more of them than anyone else was a farewell to the old format and a homage to Real Madrid’s astonishing taste for the epic, dramatic late comebacks delivered as standard. It was a hugely entertaining one too, Jude Bellingham at the heart of a 4-2 victory against Napoli which was finally secured by an unexpected hero.
Nico Paz, the 19-year-old son of former Argentina soccer player Pablo Paz, scored an impressive goal to give Madrid a 3-2 lead with five minutes remaining. There was still time for Joselu to make it 4-2. Despite missing previous opportunities, Nico apologized to the fans and was quickly forgiven. After all, they were celebrating a victory that secured their spot at the top and singing the familiar chant: “How could I not love you, if you keep winning the European Cup?”
This was an enjoyable experience, and the Pazs were not the sole footballing family present. Both a Simeone and a Zidane were present at the Santiago Bernabéu, evoking memories of past matches on the grandest of stages. However, this tournament is now entering a new era, with a new generation taking the spotlight. Gio, a striker for Napoli and the son of Diego Simeone, scored the first goal out of six. Théo, the son of Zinedine Zidane, was on the bench for Madrid, where his father had previously won this competition three consecutive times, rather than on the field where his father had won one more. Nevertheless, he still had a prime seat to witness the action.
He witnessed Napoli scoring first and then Rodrygo, with his quick feet, scoring an equalizer. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was also seen making clever flicks on the field. Brahim Díaz was able to spin past his opponents. Bellingham, who was wearing Zidane’s boots and shirt, caught his eye as the Santiago Bernabéu believes he has potential to become the best. He not only scored Madrid’s second goal but also assisted in their fourth. He also observed his former B-side teammate, Paz, scoring his first goal in the senior team, and is confident it won’t be his last.
The Bellingham team’s scoring seems inevitable now, as evidenced by their unexpected diving header in the 22nd minute. This was their third goal of the night, and there was still plenty more excitement to come.
Napoli scored first with a fantastic cross from Kvaratskhelia that was met by Di Lorenzo and passed to Simeone in the six-yard box. Lunin made a seemingly incredible save, but Simeone, who had defied his parents’ wishes and got a Champions League tattoo at 13, just managed to get the ball over the line before the keeper reached it. Madrid quickly equalized less than 10 seconds after the restart thanks to Brahim’s excellent spin move that set up Rodrygo for a shot that hit the top corner.
The situation was developing well, with increased intensity when Bellingham executed a clever trick and even more so when he connected with David Alaba’s exceptional curved pass and scored with a diving header, bringing the score to 2-1. This marked his 15th goal in 16 games for Madrid, including every match in the Champions League.
Kvaratskhelia and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa executed a smooth one-two play, resulting in a blocked shot. This allowed Rodrygo to take off on a run, with Brahim widening the play. A shot from Piotr Zielinski narrowly missed the goal at the opposite end. The mood shifted when Bellingham injured his ankle, but he was able to return in the second half after receiving treatment. However, Napoli quickly equalized with a clever pass from Di Lorenzo, leading to a confident finish by Anguissa.
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Napoli were gaining control and may have had an advantage with one less player on the field – Antonio Rüdiger escaped a reckless tackle without punishment – and briefly believed they were in the lead. Victor Osimhen, who came on at half-time for Simeone, scored a clean goal from Matteo Politano’s impressive assist, but he was offside. The game was now entering Madrid’s time, with the momentum increasing, especially due to Bellingham’s efforts from all areas of the field.
Rüdiger had an opportunity from a pass by an English player, but Alex Meret made an impressive save. Alaba then attempted two overhead kicks in quick succession, but both went over the goal. Bellingham then received a diagonal pass from Dani Carvajal and forced another save from Meret. The ball then fell to Joselu, who had previously missed one of the overhead kicks, and he somehow headed it wide. However, Paz then scored a spectacular goal from outside the box to make it 3-2. There was just enough time left for Joselu to also score, assisted by Bellingham, who had been the standout player of the game.
Source: theguardian.com
