The Spanish powerhouses have faced difficulties in Europe this season, losing three out of five matches prior to Tuesday’s game in Italy.
As a result, they required a win to enhance their prospects of advancing to the knockout stage, which they achieved with this morale-boosting performance.
France’s international Mbappe opened the scoring in the 10th minute, evading his defender before expertly finishing the chance.
It marked his 12th goal since joining Real in the summer, and he could have scored a second later in the first half when he ran through the middle, but his attempt from outside the box was saved.
Nonetheless, the visiting team encountered a setback nine minutes prior to halftime when Mbappe seemed to have sustained an injury, and while he managed to leave the pitch on foot, he was substituted by Rodrygo.
Atalanta equalized just before half time when Charles De Ketelaere converted a penalty after Sead Kolasinac fell in the box.
Real came back strong after halftime as Vinicius Jr scored a precise goal in the bottom corner upon his return from a hamstring injury, followed by Bellingham netting his first Champions League goal of the season.
Ademola Lookman provided Atalanta with a glimmer of hope by scoring his 11th goal of the season with a powerful shot at the near post, but Real resisted late pressure to secure three vital points.
The victory pushed Real to 18th place in the 36-team league and just three points behind the top eight, which secure automatic qualification for the knockout round.
Atalanta, on the other hand, sits ninth with 11 points.
Mbappe has faced difficulties replicating the form he displayed at Paris St-Germain after moving to Real in the summer, yet he appeared ready for this match from the beginning.
The forward’s smart movements behind the defence were unsettling and troubling the Atalanta backline, and his goal highlighted the remarkable skill he has.
He has netted 50 goals in 79 matches in the Champions League, making him the second-youngest player (25 years and 356 days) to achieve this milestone in the tournament after Lionel Messi in 2012 (24 years and 284 days).
His performance heightened concerns about the injury he experienced, although Real supporters will feel reassured that he could leave the field on his own.
They will be wishing he won’t join an injury list that already includes Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Eduardo Camavinga.
“Mbappe is experiencing some pain in his hamstrings.” “It doesn’t appear to be serious, but we’ll find out [on Wednesday],” stated Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
“He was unable to sprint, as it caused him some pain, so we believed it would be better to substitute him.”
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