As a goalie, your life is always precarious. One minute you’re a star, and the next your whole world falls apart.

So it was with Alex Meret of Napoli on Wednesday. He made a terrible mistake right before two amazing stops, which led to Real Madrid winning 4–2 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Nico Paz, who is 19 years old, scored the rush goal in the 84th minute in front of the home crowd in Madrid, but Meret should have had no trouble with it. The ball went over his hands and into the back of the net, putting the big Spanish team on track to win all three points.

Paz’s help added to that of Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, who kept going even though Madrid had a lot of injuries. Giovanni Simeone and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa scored early in both halves for Napoli. During the second half, Napoli had several chances to take the lead but Madrid’s youth and skill put them out of the game.

As the Italians’ chances decreased, Meret stood tall to stop shots from Antonio Rudiger and Bellingham. He made two stunning reaction saves to keep the score tied. But he couldn’t stop Paz’s shaky effort, and in extra time, Joselu added the cherry on top.

Real Madrid’s win officially put them at the top of Group C, which means they will be one of the teams picked for the final stage. Napoli is still in a good position to make it to the Round of 16, even though Braga and Union Berlin tied for first place.

The Sporting News covered the Real Madrid vs. Napoli game live, giving reports on the score, analysis, and highlights as they happened.