Real Madrid’s Rodrygo
A teenager’s three goals and one team’s three goalkeepers perked up the Champions League yesterday [Macau time] as three European powers advanced to the round of 16.
Real Madrid prodigy Rodrygo’s hat trick in a 6-0 rout of Galatasaray gave notice of a fresh young talent on a night when the familiar names of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain won to take their usual places in the knockout rounds.
The wealthy trio was the first wave of teams to advance with two group-stage games to spare.
Manchester City missed a chance to join them as it had to use three keepers — including defender Kyle Walker in emergency duty — in a 1-1 draw at Atalanta.
Madrid is heavily favored to advance after unleashing its 18-year-old Brazilian at Santiago Bernabeu stadium to make his mark on the storied competition.
Rodrygo scored twice in the opening seven minutes of his home Champions League debut. No player has scored two goals faster in a game in 28 seasons since the European Cup was rebranded.
Tottenham was also impressive in winning 4-0 at Red Star Belgrade but has more to do in the group led by Bayern.
Bayern Munich and Juventus played in the early kickoffs and became the first teams into the round of 16 draw.
Bayern’s 2-0 win over Olympiakos was a winning start for coach Hansi Flick, the interim replacement for Niko Kovac who was fired on Sunday.
Robert Lewandowski got the opener in the 69th to score for a fourth straight Champions League game. The Poland forward’s tally of six Champions League goals this season trails only Salzburg’s 19-year-old breakout star Erling Haaland.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the all-time competition record of 127 goals, and was denied adding to it by teammate Aaron Ramsey in a 2-1 win for Juventus at Lokomotiv Moscow. AP
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