Without Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid celebrated an early qualification for the round of 16 and a return to their scoring form against Sporting de Braga (3-0) in a match that saw Brahim's resurgence, restoring lost confidence in Vinícius and Rodrygo's finishing.

Brahim changed the course of Real Madrid with the determination of a player who feels that an injustice has been done to him. From being a starter and a star at Milan to being forgotten by Carlo Ancelotti, the past few months haven't seemed to affect his football.

Starting for the second time this season in a Champions League setting, he was eager to prove that he deserves more. His first goal was disallowed, reminiscent of Bellingham's intuition, as he appeared in the area where an attacking midfielder scores, and he skillfully put away the goal that momentarily silenced Real Madrid's scoring woes in the 27th minute.

Before playing 74 minutes against Braga, he had only accumulated 119 minutes across nine matches and had been left out of six.

Later on, in the 58th and 61st minutes, Vinícius Jr. and Rodrygo appeared to seal the passage to the competition's round of 16.