Braga vs Real Madrid, summary: Bellingham, score, goals & highlights | Champions League 2023/24
Braga vs Real Madrid: as it happened
The Real Madrid boss spoke after the narrow win over Braga in the Champions League, in which Bellingham left the field early with physical issues.
Ahead of Saturday’s clash with Barcelona, Jude Bellingham set alarm bells ringing at Real Madrid when he went off with a groin issue against Braga.
Here's the latest update on the player's fitness, including what Carlo Ancelotti said about his chances of making the game at the weekend.
Signing off...
That's all tonight, folks!
Thanks for tuning in and make sure to head over to AS USA for all the latest news on sport - and some juicy buildup for El Clásico this weekend!
Joe
Bellingham breaking records...
The Englishman continues his fantastic form for Real Madrid with another goal tonight in the Champions League.
Rodrygo post-game:
I was having a moment of bad luck, I tried everything, I had good games but didn't score. But today I didn't play well but I scored, that's football. I'm happy for the win.
Scoring in the UCL is always special, everyone knows it's a special competition for me. Now we need to continue.
Thanks to the manager, thank you. He has always calmed me and believed in me. He has always trusted me and he knows I love him a lot.
Fingers crossed he's OK
Bellingham went off with what looked like physical problems, so we will have to wait and see what boss Carlo Ancelotti says regarding his fitness ahead of El Clásico at the weekend.
Vinicius Jr post-game:
We suffered away from home in a tough game.
We have to keep going like this, we have won all our UCL games and we have to keep going.
I run quickly, so sometimes I'm offside but I'm happy. Hopefully I can score in the next game.
Of course Im happy for Rodrygo, he's my brother. Hopefully he can score more for us this season.
It's always good to win and have confidence for the upcoming games in the rest of the season.
Full-time thoughts:
Well, that was an intense game from start to finish, and one Madrid will be relieved to have won.
The goal from Bellingham was quickly followed up by Djaló's effort which put Real Madrid on red alert, but the experience of the side was enough to see them through a tough tie.
Braga pushed Real Madrid into a difficult position in the game, with the changes for the home side causing Carlo Ancelotti a headache as to how to regain control.
However, in the end, Real Madrid managed to keep the ball out of the net and will be happy with the three points once again.
The major red mark on their scorecard today will be the fitness of Jude Bellingham, who went down shortly before being taken off by the manager with a few minutes to go.
Full-time!
Madrid get past Braga thanks to a second-half goal from Bellingham.
Vinicius sees the ball robbed from his feet by Matheus after the Brazilian decides to go it alone instead of squaring to an open Lucas. A shocking decision.
Michael Oliver points to his watch as Real Madrid employ the dark arts.
4 added minutes.
Lucas Vázquez ON
Bellingham OFF
Braga want a penalty as they think there's been a handball in the box. João Moutinho squirmed in between a gaggle of black shirts inside the box and he believes that there was illegal contact.
He's back up and we continue.
Bellingham has gone to ground...
A stunning series of passes are popped between Valverde, Modric and Carvajal down the right side end in Madrid winning a corner.
Rüdiger gets a head on the ball but Matheus catches easily.
OFFSIDE. If the robots say so...
VAR checking it. Vini ran in behind as the ball came over the top and he finished cooly past Matheus.
It's been called offside but this looks incredibly tight...
Saatçi wins his first tackle of the night on Vinicius and it's a beauty, just as the winger is bursting into the Braga box.
Madrid at sixes and sevens every time the ball goes into the box.
This time it's Nacho who fails to clear and the ball spins and hits referee Michael Oliver, right before it's smashed into the net by a Braga player, who is rightly furious.
Yes, it's that João Moutinho.
João Moutinho ON
Al Musrati OFF
Fonseca finds space on the right side but connects horribly with the ball and his cross is spooned out of play in what will be a welcome rest for Real Madrid.
Fifteen minutes to go...
Mendy ON
Fran García OFF
Bellingham gets behind the Braga defence but he can't escape his marker, who manages to get back and pressure him enough to make the pass square to Vinicius an impossibility.
Nacho is screaming at his teammates to keep their heads and defend calmly as Braga continue to push.
Fonseca ON
Mendes OFF
Camavinga booked for cutting out a counter-attack by going to ground on Djaló.
Tchouaméni ON
Rodrygo OFF
The defensive pressure from Real Madrid is terrible as they allow one, two, three passes from Braga inside their own box from left to right.
Abel Ruiz has time to receive, turn and smash a shot from close range towards Kepa, who watches the ball go through his legs and somehow spin the right side of the post.
THAT SHOULD BE 2-2
HUGE SAVE FROM KEPA
No messing around from Rüdiger, who sends a ball onto the stadium roof after the Real Madrid defence allow Braga to push them back into their own defensive third once again.
Kepa catches the 'cross' from Abel Ruiz, although it almost looks like he tried to shoot from an insanely tight angle.
Abel Ruiz & Bruma ON
Carvalho & Banza OFF
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven stepovers from Vinicius Jr as he taunts Saatçi on the wing. The defender dives in and wins the ball.
Back underway. Braga want another!
The ball is fizzed in from the right into the box, where Banza takes a touch on the penalty spot and passes square to Djaló, who controls and smashes past Kepa from close range!
GAME ON!
DJALÓ
Everything is OK! The goal stands!
The ball is played from Vinicius on the left who finds the Englishman on the edge of the box. He opens his body, points to the far post and rolls the ball into the net as casually as you will ever see.
Carvajal off the post! The ball is swung in from the right corner and the defender - in a move that is a carbon copy of his goal against Sevilla - gets to the front post where he sees his effort crash against the upright!
Modric played a sly pass to Camavinga on the edge of the box, who cracked a low shot with his right foot towards the bottom-right corner. Matheus got down to superbly well to stop it from smashing into the back of the net.
BIG SAVE FROM MATHEUS
Nacho gets a strong boot on the ball as it's played through towards Banza. The home side have just stepped things up a little...
Braga are trying to push Madrid back with some positive possession, but the away side are happy to defend.
A chance for Bellingham after the ball is perfectly controlled with his chest and caressed to the ground like a baby butterfly before being smashed to a thousand pieces by his left boot, fired towards the goalkeeper, who punches over.
Vinicius is giving Saatçi nightmare after nightmare. The poor defender is having his blood twisted and his hips are swirling around in his body as the winger continues to spin and twist and turn around him down the wing. The ball rolls just out play on his latest attempt to take on the defender.
Hands are thrown into the air after a fantastic interception from Al Musrati stops Vinicius' low cross finding Bellingham and Modric, who had made the journey into the Braga box. It's a tennis match at the moment.
Kepa dives down to catch a weak header from Banza after a decent cross from the right side.
Real Madrid have started off with the possession. Vini Jr has already had a cross from the left cleared high into the air.
Second half underway!
And we're off as Braga get us going for the second 45. No changes from either manager at half-time.
The two teams are on the pitch!
A final thought before the restart:
Modric's close control and vision to break the first line of the Braga press from a deep position has been key in a lot of Real Madrid moves. It will be interesting to see how long he gets on the pitch, especially given his reduced minutes this season.
Half-time stats:
Braga-Real Madrid
xG: 0.72-0.47
Possession: 42-58
Total shots: 9-7
Shots on target: 0-2
Shots off target: 5-4
Offsides: 2-5
Accurate passes (%): 87-95
Source: sofascore.com
Half-time thoughts.
Real Madrid are ahead in a game in which they certainly have had to battle through. Braga set out to press them like crazy and for the first 10-15 minutes, it worked, with the away side struggling in buildup.
However, the patience of the savvy side paid off, and it was Rodrygo who struck just as the Braga press dropped, with fantastic work from Vini Jr to get the ball in towards the Brazilian just a few yards out.
Since the goal, it has been a different game, with Madrid looking more comfortable as the clock ticks on and players such as Fran García and Bellingham - who had looked quiet - have grown into the tie.
Half-time!
English punctuality from Michael Oliver, who blows for half-time on 45 minutes exactly.
A big chance for Djaló as he skips to the right of Rüdiger and smashes a low shot just past the far post. He's called offside.
Another offside call against Vini Jr & Rodrygo, who have just rushed things a little too much. Saying that, against Saatçi, they've found someone they can exploit.
Vinicius is giving poor Saatçi a torrid time down the left side.
Valverde gets possession and space on the right after a delightful pass from Modric. The thunderbolt cross from Valverde looks to find Vinicius who is coming inside from the left.
Saatçi gets something - a foot, a shin, a knee - to the ball and manages to clear it out of play. Braga defend the subsequent corner.
Valverde gets the ball from a short corner and tries one of his cannonball efforts. This time, however, it sails over the bar.
A quick-thinking throw from Dani Carvajal catches the Braga defence out and Vini is through and 1vs1, albeit with the ball moving away from goal, towards the right wing.
The player tries his luck from distance but the curve on the shot is too much and Braga watch it fly wide.
HUGE CHANCE FOR VINICIUS
8 attempts for Braga, 0 on target.
3 attempts for Real Madrid, 2 on target.
The ball is in the back of the net for Real Madrid... but it's offside. Vinicius was in an offside position as he was played through by Bellingham.
Ricardo Horta tries his luck from distance but it sails over the bar as Kepa watches on.
Sighs and groans from the crowd as Mendes can't get on the ball as it's sprayed out wide to him in a huge amount of space. The opportunities are there, but the precision isn't quite.
A dangerous cross from Mendes on the right forces Kepa to leap and get the end of his glove on a ball that could have crept over the line.
Bellingham is growing into the game: that's a couple of nice line-breaking passes he's made in the last 5-10 minutes. Madrid are definitely looking more comfortable now as the Braga press has dropped off significantly.
Vinicius gets in behind again and eventually the offside flag goes up, but not before the Brazilian sees his low shot saved by Matheus. The crowd aren't happy with that.
Bellingham receives the ball in behind the Braga midfield. He plays a reverse pass through the defence towards Vini Jr on the left wing, who cuts inside and fires a bullet at Matheus, who palms the ball away.
BIG SAVE FROM MATHEUS
Rüdiger's block saved Real Madrid! The ball is crossed in from the right and headed down towards the penalty spot, where Horta smashes a shot into Rüdiger's back from close range!
HUGE CHANCE FOR BRAGA
Rodrygo shoots from distance and the ball whizzes over the bar. Bellingham wanted a pass through the lines and he's not happy, but you can't blame little Rodrygo for having a pop.
The ball eventually runs out of play after Carvajal can't get enough of a touch on the cross, but the skill from Vinicius Jr to skip past his marker was delightful. A flip-flap, I believe those who play video games call it.
The corner is whipped in and it's Al Musrati who sees his shot from close range blocked out by Jude Bellingham.
HUGE CHANCE FOR BRAGA
The home side race up the other end of the pitch and win a corner. I'm saying nothing, but I did warm Braga about thinking Real Madrid look poor...
Back underway. Braga are shell-shocked.
The ball is hoofed forward towards Vini Jr, who takes it down and beats Saatçi for pace on the wing. He smashes a low cross towards goal and Rodrygo - the man who everyone has been talking about for the wrong reasons - gets a toe on the ball to poke it past Matheus!
RODRYGO
Madrid get their first real touches on the ball as Valverde, Modric and Fran García link up on halfway, but Braga pounce and win it back.
The fans are certainly behind their team and how they're playing. A fantastic noise from the crowd.
Corner to Braga after a tremendous recovery run from Rüdiger sees him beat Zalazar for pace.
This is an incredibly positive start from the home side who, if they haven't created many chances, are dominating the ball. But it's the old saying that's in my head: Real Madrid are most dangerous when they look at their weakest...
Tactical switches from Madrid as it's now Valverde and Camavinga as the midfield dup with Modric taking up a position on the right.
Carlo clearly not happy with the start which has seen Madrid suffer from the press and be unable to hold onto the ball for any length of time.
Al Musrati gets his head on the ball but the effort flies over Kepa's goal.
Camavinga brings down Horta, the Braga captain, as he spins in the middle third of the pitch. A chance for the home side to loft the ball into the box.
Matheus collects a pass from Rodrygo after the Brazilian's pass is misplaced in the right channel.
Something I've noticed early on is that the midfield trio of Modric-Valverde-Camavinga is very narrow, which is giving a lot of space to Braga's wide men ahead of the Madrid full-backs. Something to keep an eye on, perhaps.
The press that Madrid are under from the home side is brutal: Real Madrid's midfield are working incredibly hard just to play simple passes, with less than a second given for each player to make a decision and execute it before being strangled by a red shirt.
Bellingham goes down in the box... and it's another no from Michael Oliver.
Braga are doing well to keep the ball and have no issue whatsoever playing through and around the Madrid press. They went from front to back before playing down the right and ending up inside the Madrid box, where Banza fell over. Nothing given as the ball rolls out.
CHANCE. BRAGA.
First touches of the game for Vini Jr, who takes the ball on halfway and drives forward, forcing the Braga defence scrambling back.
It's Camavinga at the base of the Madrid midfield diamond, with Valverde to the right and Modric to the left.
And we're off!
Real Madrid get us underway.
It's a fantastic atmosphere inside the stadium, despite it only having two sides.
The Chaaaaammpiooooons!!!
Smiles all around as the famous music rings around the stadium.
Here come the teams!
The players are in the tunnel and are ready to step out onto the pitch!
Will the Englishman be in the spotlight once again?
He got the winner against Union Berlin and scored a Maradona-esque goal against Napoli - will Jude be the man of the match once again for Real Madrid?
Fifteen minutes to go!
The players' warmups are finishing up now as they prepare to head down the tunnel for the final team talk ahead of kick-off!
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'Where is little Arda Güler?' you might be asking, and you'd be right to.
The young Turk has been on the verge of a grand return to fitness since he touched down in Madrid after leaving early from the US Training Camp in Los Blancos' pre-season tour.
However, luck has not been on the side of the midfielder, who is yet to make his debut for the side due to various injuries.
Read about the latest update on the player who everyone is desperate to see.
A reminder of the starting XIs:
If you've just joined us, here is how to the two sides line up:
BRAGA [4-2-3-1]:
Matheus
Mendes - Saatçi - Niakaté - Borja
Al Musrati - Carvalho
Djaló - Zalazar - Horta (c)
Banza
REAL MADRID [4-3-1-2]:
Kepa
Carvajal - Rüdiger - Nacho (c) - Fran García
Modric - Valverde - Camavinga
Bellingham
Vini Jr - Rodrygo
Teams out on the pitch for pre-game warmups!
We've got half an hour to go and both sets of players have just made their way out of the tunnel and onto the pitch for the first time ahead of kick-off to prepare for the game.
Late team news: Real Madrid
Joselu will not be available for selection in tonight's game between Braga and Real Madrid on Champions League matchday three. The forward has been forced to drop out of the squad at the last minute as he is suffering from the flu - Real Madrid statement
And Bellingham completes his pre-game routine...
The Englishman always steps out onto the pitch ahead of kick-off in order to inspect the surface and visualise himself in the game, imagining how things will go when the referee blows the whistle.
It's worked pretty well for him at Real Madrid so far, so I don't see him stopping any time soon!
The dressing room is ready!
Are Real Madrid going to continue their unbeaten streak in the Champions League or will we see the home side spring a surprise?
Let us know your predictions on Twitter/X, send your scores to @English_AS
Carlo Ancelotti to TV ahead of kick-off:
Our idea doesn't change. It's a game that is important to defend well, they play well. We need a solid defence to take advantage of transitions.
I changed because I wanted to put fresh players in. The pitch will be soft so we need fresh legs.
I want Rodrygo to play like he did against Sevilla. For him it's important to score, he's a striker but we evaluate more things. He played well in the last game.
The pitch is the same for both sides. I'm not worried [about the rain]. It didn't influence the team. I have chosen young and fresh players for the XI because everyone wants to play for Real Madrid.
Braga starting XI announced:
It's a strong lineup from Artur Jorge who will be looking to build on Braga's 6-game unbeaten run which stretches back to September.
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Bellingham came out quickly to support his teammate after Vini Jr suffered racist abuse yet again in LaLiga.
The incident came in Real Madrid's last game, a 1-1 draw against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
Vinicius posted a strong message on Twitter, thanking Sevilla for their swift reaction yet lamenting the fact that this disgusting abuse still happens in football and society in general:
Congratulations to Sevilla for their quick positioning and punishment in yet another sad episode for Spanish football. Unfortunately, I had access to a video of another racist act in this Saturday's match, this time carried out by a child. I am very sorry that there is no one to educate you. I invest, and I invest a lot, in education in Brazil to form citizens with attitudes different from these... Sorry to seem repetitive, but this is isolated episode number 19. And counting...
Carlo Ancelotti's pre-game quotes:
I have faith in the referees as a matter of course, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less. If you ask me about the videos, you know better than me what freedom of expression is and everyone can say what they think.
We have to evaluate a lot of things. The referee who officiates in Spain lives in Spain and the English referee officiating in Portugal lives in England. Refereeing in Europe is different to refereeing in Spain. There's a different pressure. The referees who referee in Spain don't have the pressure in Europe that they have in Spain.
[Confidence is] an important aspect. Beginning a game without fear is positive, but we have to respect our opponents, who attack very well and have scored a lot of goals in recent games. I have the utmost respect, but it's a fantastic opportunity to put the group stage firmly on track.
This competition is very important for Real Madrid and this club has placed a lot of focus on this competition. This is the one we all like the most: the club, players and coaches. It's a special competition and we have to look forward and not backwards.
CURTO DE LA TORRE / AFP
Who's the ref?
Fans of the Premier League may recognise the face of the man with the whistle today. It’s EPL seasoned proMichael Oliver.
Yes, Mr Oliver is in charge tonight and he comes into the game with two first names and a wealth of experience under his hat, having been a Premier League official since 2010, a FIFA referee since 2012 and a UEFA Elite referee since 2018.
He’s done FA Cup games, Champions League ties, World Cup matches and even a game in Saudi Arabia.
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The Estadio Municipal de Braga is what the club are perhaps best known for. The stadium, which has a capacity of a smidge over 30,000, is the seventh ground biggest in Portugal.
Built by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, the stadium has just two stands and one of the sides behind the goal is literally a mountain face.
Well, if you’re being picky, it’s a huge lump of rock from an old limestone quarry, which is what gives the stadium its name of A Pedreira: the Quarry.
Braga in their famous home strip
They're actually known as Os Arsenalistas (The Arsenalists) due to their home strip. No, really!
Braga will be playing in their traditional red and white kit up against Madrid's charcoal-striped third outfit.
In Europe the club haven't had much luck, winning a sole Intertoto Cup (I know) and getting to the final of the 2010-11 Europa League, which they lost to Portuguese rivals Porto.
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Want to watch the game while sticking with the live coverage?
Look no further, dear reader. Here is all the information you need to follow the matchday 3 game between Braga and Real Madrid, which kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.
Here's the Real Madrid XI!
Ancelotti makes a number of changes as Kepa is between the sticks with Carvajal, Rüdiger, Nacho (c) and Fran ahead of him.
Modric, Camavinga and Valverde make up the midfield, with Bellingham in the hole behind Rodrygo and Vini Jr.
How things look in Group C:
After two games each, it’s Los Blancos who are top of the pops in Group C.
They have overcome both Union Berlin (1-0) and Napoli (2-3) to maintain a perfect record in the tournament so far, and will be looking to carry on their good form and take some momentum into the game against Barcelona at the weekend.
Braga sit in third, just behind Napoli, after a win and a loss in their two games so far. They lost their opener to the Italian side 1-2 before a late winner against Union Berlin saw them take all three points in a dramatic game that ended 2-3 to the Portuguese outfit.
A small part of me feels a bit silly judging the table at the moment as we’ve only had a couple of fixtures, but it’s still nice to see how things have gone.
| group C | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Here are today's fixtures in the Champions League.
We've got some tasty ties and even some potential showings from the USMNT stars who have made their mark on the continent this season.
Looks like Real Madrid will be in their third kit...
"Football elegance", says the Adidas website, "It's hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. A nod to Real Madrid's sparkling away performances."
Real Madrid say that it "displays a dark charcoal tone in the three stripes on the shoulders. Its design is elegant yet sporty, creating a versatile, simple and elegant garment".
I am going to leave you, the reader, to form your own opinions. It's black and yellow to me.
Team news: Real Madrid
Real Madrid had an injury scare late last night when alarm bells sounded as Eduardo Camavinga was forced to finish training early. However, the news has been quiet regarding the Frenchman which means that he may be in line for a start in midfield.
Taking the Xi as a whole, we have to keep in mind that Saturday’s Clásico is going to dominate the thoughts of Ancelotti, who will surely rotate for this game.
Courtois, Militão, Güler and Ceballos are the only absentees.
Team news: Braga
Let's start with the home team: Victor Gomez is the only injury worry for Braga manager, Artur Jorge, who has pretty much a full squad as he looks to play his typical 4-2-3-1 formation.
Welcome!
Well, hello there!
Here we are back with the good stuff and another exciting week of continental football served to you with AS.
Tonight we’ve got a great fixture: Braga vs Real Madrid in Group C.
It’s Joe here to guide you through the fun and games in Portugal tonight.