As far as goals that a player can score, it doesn’t get much bigger than a winner in the Champions League in the Madrid derby. Brahim Diaz had that honour on Tuesday.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, the goal itself was a touch of magic to open up a predictable cagey affair too. Brahim danced inside the area, weaving past the defenders and finishing into the bottom corner, something Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. would be proud of.

Milan fans had deja vu: February 14, 2023, Milan 1-0 Tottenham, a goal by Brahim Diaz. Even then it was the first leg of a Champions League round of 16 tie and he became youngest goal for the Rossoneri in a UCL knockout match since Kakà in 2004.

During his time at Milan, Brahim scored twice against Juve, Liverpool and Napoli. In his first year back at Real Madrid, he scored in one of the two league derbies and in the Spanish Super Cup (again against Atletico).

This season, in the Champions League, he scored against Manchester City and now this latest sting against Diego Simeone’s men. Connecting the dots is easy: Brahim Diaz is a player for important matches.

Ricky Massara, during his time at Milan, used to say: Brahim is not afraid, when the tension rises he plays better, a champion quality that even his first coaches noticed.