Real Madrid secured a 1–0 victory over Juventus thanks to a winner from Jude Bellingham to remain perfect in the Champions League under Xabi Alonso.
The Spanish giants have now won 11 of their 12 matches in 2025–26, putting them top of La Liga and in the Champions League. Real Madrid are one of only five teams to secure three victories in three matches on Europe’s biggest stage.
Alonso’s men were not at their best on Wednesday evening, but one dazzling moment from Vinícius Júnior in the second half was the only opening Bellingham needed to get his side on the scoresheet. The goal was enough to collect all three points.
Next up for Real Madrid is El Clásico, where the 15-time European champions will hope to end their four-game losing streak to arch rivals Barcelona.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Juventus (4-1-2-3)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.0: Delivered a vintage performance. Courtois’s heroics were the only reason Real Madrid had a chance at three points.
RB: Federico Valverde—7.6: Needed the help of Asencio and Güler to keep Kenan Yıldız quiet. Still, a solid outing out of position for Valverde.
CB: Raúl Asencio—7.4: Reproved his worth to Alonso with a gritty showing, though his fitness will be a concern after the Spanaird was forced to come out of the game in the 88th minute.
CB: Éder Militão—8.0: Lost a few foot races to Vlahović, but otherwise, Militão dominated every time he was called upon.
LB: Álvaro Carreras—8.2: A statement performance. Carreras completed the most passes, won the most duels and had the most tackles in the match.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.2: Lively in the attack and always a threat on set pieces. Tchouaméni also did well to fill in at center back and preserve his side’s lead once Asencio left the game.
AM: Jude Bellingham—8.6: Took a moment to find his bearings playing alongside Güler, but his constant runs into the box set him apart from the Türkiye international. Bellingham’s relentless pressure was rewarded with a goal.
AM: Arda Güler—8.6: A great performance that won’t be reflected on the scoresheet. Güler was Los Blancos’ most inventive player, providing Luka Modrić-esque service until he came off the pitch.
RW: Brahim Díaz—7.4: Boasted an admirable work rate, but lacked the creativity needed to exploit such a disciplined defense. Díaz posed virtually no threat down the right flank.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.3: A lackluster performance by his standards, but the Frenchman still had moments of brilliance in the final third; Mbappé just could not find the back of the net, ending his goalscoring streak at 11 consecutive games.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.7: Fell flat in the first half, but produced one dazzling moment that secured the victory. The Brazilian’s dribbling is second to none.
Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Fran González (GK), Ferland Mendy, Thiago Pitarch, Endrick, Rodrygo.
Juventus (3-4-2-1)
Starting XI: Michele Di Gregorio; Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, Lloyd Kelly; Pierre Kalulu, Teun Koopmeiners, Khéphren Thuram, Andrea Cambiaso; Weston McKennie, Kenan Yıldız; Dušan Vlahović.
Subs used: Francisco Conceição, Manuel Locatelli, Jonathan David, Loïs Openda, Filip Kostić.
Player of the Match: Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid 1–0 Juventus—How It Unfolded at the Santiago Bernabéu
Juventus came into the fixture on a six-game winless streak, yet it looked like Real Madrid were the team struggling for form once the opening whistle sounded. Alonso’s men got off to a sluggish start at the Santiago Bernabéu, perhaps already looking ahead to this weekend’s El Clásico.
The visitors sent a few chances the way of Thibaut Courtois in the opening 10 minutes, forcing key saves from the Belgian to keep his side, which struggled to grasp any semblance of possession, in the game.
Real Madrid weathered the storm, though, and soon found their footing, forcing the Old Lady to drop into a relentless low block. The Spanish giants created a few half-chances from the nine corners they won in the first half, but none that truly threatened their opponents.
Kylian Mbappé mustered the best moment of a frustrating 45 minutes for Los Blancos when he broke free in transition on the brink of halftime. The Frenchman had enough time and space to fire a left-footed strike the way of Michele Di Gregorio, who made a great save to keep the forward off the scoresheet.
The second half was a more open affair, with Juventus eager to strike on the counter attack. After getting the better of Éder Militão, Dušan Vlahović found himself through on goal in the 49th minute. A gaping goal beckoned, but Courtois made a spectacular save with his foot to deny the Serbian.
A breakthrough for Real Madrid was only ever going to come from Mbappé or Vinícius Júnior, and this time, it was the latter who created another moment of magic at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Brazil international took on three defenders in the box to carve out enough space to rifle a powerful shot off the crossbar.
The ball fell right to Bellingham, who poked home the go-ahead goal. The England international has officially opened his account in 2025–26.
Vinicius Jr. dances through Juventus' defense and Jude Bellingham is on hand to slot it home for Real Madrid 🔥 pic.twitter.com/L9Sz2Yhs90
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 22, 2025
Real Madrid tried to find an insurance goal in the ensuing 33 minutes of the game, but they were missing the end product in the final third to beat Di Gregorio for a second time. In the end, one goal was enough to collect all three points for the hosts.
Real Madrid vs. Juventus Half-Time Stats
Real Madrid vs. Juventus Full Time Statistics
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Juventus: Moment of Magic Delivers Hard-Fought Victory.