Real Madrid, who had already qualified for the Champions League, upset second-place Napoli 4-2 on Wednesday with to goals from Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo.
With goals from Joselu and teenage Nico Paz, the record 14-time European champion won Group C for the fifth time in a row. Napoli’s attempt to advance to the knockout stage prior to the championship round was thwarted by the outcome.
“It was a difficult match,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “Yet we prevailed and achieved our goal of taking the lead within the group.”
Bellingham has scored 15 goals in his first 16 games with Madrid, including four goals in his four Champions League matches against the Spanish squad.
Bellingham surprised everyone by becoming viral. This was not what Ancelotti had expected.
Napoli has a three-point advantage over Braga and trails Madrid by eight. Union Berlin and Braga drew 1-1 at home in the other group game. Napoli will take on Braga in the final round in an effort to secure a trip to the round of sixteen.
Nine minutes into the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Giovanni Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, scored the opening goal for the visitors.
After two minutes, Rodrygo scored Madrid’s sixth goal in his previous four games with the Spanish squad, finding the top corner. Bellingham headed in Madrid’s sixth goal in the 22nd minute, his fifth in the previous five games.