🤝 President Florentino Pérez and Inter Milan vice-president Javier Zanetti exchanged gifts ahead of the match at the San Siro.#RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/TqluaW23aW
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 26, 2020
Real Madrid picked up three important Champions League points with a 2-0 win away at Inter Milan on Wednesday through Eden Hazard's first-half opener from the penalty spot and Rodrygo Goes' second-half strike.
The result at San Siro has almost certainly consigned the Italians to the Europa League at best with Inter now bottom of Group B with two points, five behind the Spaniards who are up to second and six behind leaders Borussia Monchengladbach.
Even third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk are two points better off despite a 10-0 thrashing over two matches against the Germans.
😮 - @realmadrid win a European away match in Milan for the first time, after remaining winless in each of their first 14 tries (W0-D4-L10). #UCL #InterReal
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) November 25, 2020
Hazard put Real in front just seven minutes in with a penalty after Nacho was deemed to have been fouled. It was the Belgium international's first Champions League goal since late 2017.
Lucas Vazquez could have doubled the visitors' lead but hit the post as Zinedine Zidane's men got on top of a vulnerable Inter.
Ferland Mendy and Hazard could have added to Real's lead, but it remained 1-0 until half-time with Arturo Vidal seeing red for two bookings just after the half-hour mark following a heated exchange with referee Anthony Taylor over an Inter penalty shout.
9 - Rodrygo Goes has been involved nine goals in @ChampionsLeague (six goals + three assists), four more than in his 24 league games for @realmadriden (five, two goals + three assists). Inspiration#InterRealMadrid #UCL pic.twitter.com/fFaXmoaz3p
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 25, 2020
Just before the hour mark, Real made it two through substitute Rodrygo who was teed up by Vazquez for a thumping finish just moments after coming on -- six goals in nine Champions League appearances for the Brazilian.
Although Real pushed for a third, they could not find it and it finished 2-0 for three massive points and a hammer blow for Inter's knockout phase hopes.
Here's a look at who was on top and who flopped on Wednesday.
Top: Lucas Vazquez
Arguably one of his best performances of the season, teeing up Rodrygo and going close on more than one occasion in a purposeful display.
3 - Arturo Vidal is one of three players to have been sent off for three different clubs in the Champions League (Inter, Bayern Munich and Barcelona), along with Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Serial. pic.twitter.com/UQj7GIOonB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 25, 2020
Flop: Arturo Vidal
Left his team down a man for two-thirds of the match at one goal down. The Chile international made a tough task even harder for Conte and his men.
Top: Eden Hazard
Went 78 minutes and broke his Champions League goal drought with the opening strike from the penalty spot.
Flop: Antonio Conte
His future must now be in question with Europa League looking the best-case scenario and further evidence to the argument that he cannot coach his teams to victory over more illustrious opponents. Inter might be wondering if keeping him on over the summer was the wisest choice.
