Bellingham Says Real Madrid Ready for Any Opponent in Champions League Play-offs

Jude Bellingham (L) and Rodrygo were the goal-scorers for Real Madrid in their 3-0 win at Brest on Wednesday (Damien MEYER) - AFP
Jude Bellingham (L) and Rodrygo were the goal-scorers for Real Madrid in their 3-0 win at Brest on Wednesday (Damien MEYER) - AFP
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Bellingham Says Real Madrid Ready for Any Opponent in Champions League Play-offs

Jude Bellingham (L) and Rodrygo were the goal-scorers for Real Madrid in their 3-0 win at Brest on Wednesday (Damien MEYER) - AFP
Jude Bellingham (L) and Rodrygo were the goal-scorers for Real Madrid in their 3-0 win at Brest on Wednesday (Damien MEYER) - AFP

Jude Bellingham insisted Real Madrid would be ready for whoever they have to face in the Champions League play-offs and that the reigning champions are "starting to click" after their 3-0 win in Brest on Wednesday.

Bellingham scored Real's second goal in between a double strike from Rodrygo as the Spanish giants proved too strong for the French upstarts in Guingamp.

It was a third straight win to finish the league phase of the Champions League for Real after they started with three defeats in their first five outings, and that poor start is what led to them coming 11th in the standings.

They finished a point outside the top eight places which offered direct qualification for the last 16, and therefore enter Friday's draw for the extra play-off round, AFP reported.

They already know that they will face either Manchester City or Celtic in the play-offs in February, with the winners over two legs advancing to the last 16 in March.

"It was important to get the win and finish the group stage strong. I think we probably let ourselves down in a few of the games and that is the reason why we have ended up" in the play-offs, Bellingham told UEFA.com.

"No problem, we'll try and face whatever obstacle comes with a better face and you can see that we are definitely starting to click as a team in the last few weeks."

Carlo Ancelotti's side have won their last five matches in all competitions since a 5-2 pasting at the hands of Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia on January 12.

Rodrygo opened the scoring against Brest just before the half-hour mark for Real with a low shot across goalkeeper Marco Bizot and in off the far post, moments after the Brazilian had a header expertly saved.

The visitors were missing Vinicius Junior through suspension and Kylian Mbappe was not on scoring form, having previously netted eight times in the last five games.

But that didn't matter, as Real survived seeing Brest's Ludovic Ajorque have a goal disallowed for a tight offside just after half-time before they went 2-0 ahead on 56 minutes.

Bellingham, the player of the match, sparked a breakaway and then arrived in the box to finish off Lucas Vazquez's low centre.

Rodrygo then scored again on 78 minutes, claiming a brace in a second straight Champions League game, after Mbappe's shot was saved.

"I think we overlook who scores the goals and that kind of thing because we know that each game it will be someone else, whether it's Rodrygo's two and me one tonight, whether it's Kylian with three the other day," Bellingham added.

"Someone will always step up with a bit of individual brilliance and the rest of us will focus on the organisation of the team.

"That is maybe what we lacked in a few of the early group games but it seems to be getting better over the last few weeks."

Real qualified from the league phase despite defeats against Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool, and Bellingham gave the new format a thumbs up overall.

"It has been nice playing more teams of a higher quality and a real mixed group of teams from all over Europe. It's nice to have a bit more jeopardy," he said.

Brest are also through to the play-off round after a memorable first ever European campaign which has seen them finish 18th in the table, above the likes of Juventus and Manchester City, despite losing their last two games.

They will play either French rivals Paris Saint-Germain or Benfica in the next round.

"We want to keep going, make even more history than we have already, and if we can continue to get results, why not," said Bizot.



Messi and Miami Held by New York City in MLS Opener

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP
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Messi and Miami Held by New York City in MLS Opener

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami stumbled out of the blocks with a 2-2 home draw against New York City FC in the opening round of the new Major League Soccer season on Saturday.

Miami, who broke the regular season points record last year before crashing out in the first round of the playoffs, played the bulk of the match with 10 men after Argentine defender Tomas Aviles was sent off.

Messi provided the assists for both Miami's goals including the leveler which came in the 10th minute of stoppage time, AFP reported.

With new head coach Javier Mascherano in charge for the first time in MLS, having replaced fellow Argentine Gerardo Martino, Miami featured several new faces but looked disjointed and lacking shape for most of the encounter.

The night began perfectly for Miami who took the lead in the fifth minute after Messi played a corner deep to Jordi Alba who returned a pinpoint diagonal pass which the World Cup winner slipped across to Aviles who slotted home.

But then things started to go wrong for the MLS Cup favourites.

One of the off-season arrivals, forward Fafa Picault, had to go off in the 10th minute after going down with what appeared to be a muscle injury.

Then, 13 minutes later, the momentum of the game shifted significantly towards New York when Aviles brought down Alonso Martinez on the edge of the box and received a straight red card.

From the free-kick Maxi Moralez took advantage of the disorganisation in the Miami defence -- slipping a pass to the unmarked Slovenian Mitja Ilenic who fired into the bottom corner.

Miami with a makeshift, inexperienced central defensive pairing of Noah Allen and Ian Fray, struggled to get a grip on the game although substitute Robert Taylor forced City keeper Matt Freese into a fine save at the end of the half.

New York could sense there was the chance for an upset but they could barely believe their luck when they were gifted the lead by Alba in the 55th minute.

The former Spain and Barcelona left-back passed straight to New York forward Martinez who gleefully accepted the gift and burst goalwards before slotting past Oscar Ustari.

Messi was getting little in the way of quality service and next to no support from the largely ineffective Luis Suarez who was substituted four minutes after the goal.

Freese kept out a Messi free-kick and Alba found Federico Redondo with a fine pull-back but the midfielder side-footed wide.

But in the 10th minute of stoppage time Messi provided the touch of class Miami needed - slipping a perfectly weighted pass through to Telasco Segovia and the Venezuelan provided a deft finish to lift the ball over Freese for the equaliser.