Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League match against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, on Tuesday. AFP
BERGAMO, Italy — Real Madrid's big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant's faltering Champions League title defense on Tuesday.
Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. But Madrid still had to ride its luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage time when handed a golden chance to level the game.
It was only Madrid's third win in the competition's revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place.
"It's a very important win. Not everyone wins here. We suffered and competed. In the Champions League, you have to suffer," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "It's still difficult to finish in the top eight, but we have two games left to earn points."
After three losses in its opening five games of the league phase, the pressure was mounting on Madrid.
Questions were also being asked of Mbappe after his uncertain start since his offseason move from PSG.But he produced a moment of class to fire Madrid 1-0 up after 10 minutes at Gewiss Stadium — controlling the ball with his left foot and then finishing low with his right.
Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring Real Madrid's second goal on Tuesday. AFP
It was the 25-year-old Mbappe's 50th Champions League goal. Lionel Messi is the only player to have reached that number at a younger age.
Mbappe was substituted off before halftime with an apparent physical issue and Charles De Ketelaere leveled the game before the break from the penalty spot. But two goals inside three second-half minutes from Vinicius Junior and Bellingham put Madrid in control.
Madrid has endured a series of injuries this season, with several key players missing significant time, including Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao who are out for the rest of the campaign with ACL tears.
"Mbappe has suffered an overload, an ischial (lower pelvis) discomfort," Ancelotti told Movistar Plus.
"It doesn't seem serious, but we'll see tomorrow after the exams. He couldn't sprint, it was bothering him a bit and we decided to make the substitution."
Ancelotti also hopes that Real's win will help his team push for a top eight finish in the Champions League and direct passage for the last 16.
Madrid is now three points from the top eight positions with matches against Salzburg and Brest remaining in its league phase campaign and the rest of this week's fixtures coming up on Wednesday.
"I don't know if we can get into top eight, but the goal is obvious, we need to win both the matches that we have left," Ancelotti told reporters.
Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring Real Madrid's third goal. AFP
"This win will give us a lot, it's a great win because it was based on quality play and hard work. It's given us some breathing room... Let's hope we have more players available (in January), but we're more relaxed about it after today, absolutely."
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini was so proud of his team's performance he wasn't even too upset by Retegui blazing over a golden chance to equalize in added time.
Italy forward Retegui somehow missed the target from inches out when making contact with Ademola Lookman's fizzing low cross and looked ashen faced once he realized the opportunity he had passed up.
Defeat dropped Atalanta, who scored through Lookman and De Ketelaere, down to ninth on 11 points with matches against Sturm Graz and Barcelona completing its league phase.
"It happened so fast... a draw would have possibly better reflected the balance of play but maybe, losing like we did will hurt us more and force us to improve," said Gasperini.
"The defeat had nothing to do with luck or anything like that and that means that we still need to tweak a few things to get to their level."
Agencies
