Real Madrid gave their ambitions to defend their Champions League title a huge boost with a comfortable win to eliminate Red Bull Salzburg.
After losing three of their opening six games, Madrid looked more like their usual selves as they dispatched the Austrians with a first-half double from Rodrygo, before a goal from Kylian Mbappe and two from Vinicius Jr followed after the break.
This win and results elsewhere guarantee Madrid at least a play-off spot, and they are one point off the automatic qualification places, with a visit to Brest on the final matchday next week.
Salzburg, whose only consolation was a late Mads Bidstrup volley, have lost six of their seven league phase games and are out of the Champions League.
They needed a win and for other results to go their way to stand a chance of sneaking into the play-offs, and started stronger at Santiago Bernabeu with Oscar Gloukh shooting narrowly wide from 18 yards.
But Madrid soon hit their straps as their biggest names turned up when it mattered.
On 23 minutes Madrid led with their first meaningful attack of the game. A sweeping move from back to front saw Jude Bellingham knock down Vinicius’ aerial ball and Rodrygo netted with an angled volley.
That lead was doubled before half-time with a beautiful strike, demonstrating Madrid are still to be feared in Europe despite their indifferent league stage form.
Rodrygo played a one-two with Bellingham, the Englishman giving the return pass with a back-heel, and the Brazilian swept home from the edge of the box.
The win was sealed three minutes after half-time when Mbappe capitalised on a mistake by visiting keeper Janis Blaswich, dispossessing the German in his six-yard area and tapping home.
Vinicius, who moved to seven goals in six Champions League games, made it 4-0 after 55 minutes, collecting a brilliant Luka Modric pass and cutting into the box from the left before curling a right-footed effort beyond Blaswich.
And he made it five with a cool finish after a Madrid passing move all the way up the pitch from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Champions rediscover European touch
With three wins and three losses before Christmas in the Champions League, reigning champions Madrid faced the frightening possibility of league-stage elimination had they not won on Wednesday night.
But Salzburg were perfect opponents. Now with one win in seven and 22 goals conceded, they are also in their mid-season Bundesliga break – they have not played a league game since 14 December and will not resume until early February.
And while Salzburg showed some early promise under new manager Thomas Letsch, eventually Madrid’s quality told.
All has not been well for the Spanish giants with manager Carlo Ancelotti under pressure following a series of unimpressive defeats this season, including 3-1 to Milan in their previous home Champions League game.
But they were never truly at risk of suffering back-to-back home European losses for the first time since 2018-19 as their starry frontline finds some form.
Rodrygo, often less heralded than Vinicius and Mbappe, continues to be a reliable source of quality and important goals.
Meanwhile, Mbappe, who is finally starting to meet expectations after a poor start in Madrid, became only the eighth player to register 75 Champions League goal involvements.
