Ademola Lookman’s impressive performance, including a goal, could not prevent Atalanta from succumbing to a 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash.
Real Madrid handed the Serie A leaders, Atalanta their first defeat in this season’s revamped Champions League after Mbappe gave them the lead with a strike from inside the box in the 10th minute before he was forced off with an injury.
Charles de Ketelaere equalised with a penalty after Aurelien Tchouameni tripped Sead Kolasinac from behind just before the break but Vinicius Jr stroked home a rebound in the 56th minute to put the visitors back in front.
Bellingham extended their lead after a counter attack three minutes later but Ademola Lookman reduced the deficit in the 65th before Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois worked his magic with a string of saves to secure a hard-fought win.
With two games left, Real are 18th in the 36-team table on nine points, three points off the top eight spots which secures direct qualification to the last 16. Atalanta are ninth on 11 points after slipping into the playoff places.
Off the back of a fabulous campaign in which they won record-extending titles in LaLiga and the Champions League, Real have struggled in their European title defence.
They lost three of their previous four continental matches before heading to Italy to face red-hot Atalanta, who were unbeaten in the competition having conceded only one goal.
Mbappe, who has been under scrutiny for an inconsistent start at Real, began the game well and forced Marco Carnesecchi into a couple of fine early saves but there was nothing the keeper could do to stop the France captain giving Real the lead.
He scored with a low strike from inside the box after superbly controlling a pass by Diaz with one touch to move the ball past a defender and put himself in the box where he netted.
It was all going so well for the visitors until Mbappe was forced off in the 35th minute with what looked like a muscle injury to be replaced by Rodrygo.
After Antonio Ruediger missed a close-range sitter in the 39th, De Ketelaere fired a rocket into the top corner to equalise but, just as Atalanta were growing in confidence after the break they gifted Vinicius a rebound he did not miss.
Bellingham scored to make it 3-1 minutes later but after Lookman slotted home a low strike from the edge of the box Courtois made critical saves to deny Raoul Bellanova, Mateo Retegui, Matteo Ruggeri and Lazar Samardzic to secure the win.
