Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were among the scorers as Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Real Madrid struck three times in just over 10 first-half minutes to take control of the match, before Arda Guler completed the rout late in the second half.
Bellingham opened the scoring after 19 minutes with an impressive solo effort, weaving past two defenders before firing the ball through goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero’s legs.
The England midfielder then played a key role in Madrid’s second seven minutes later. After Herrero had denied Mbappe, Bellingham headed the rebound back towards goal. Defender Carlos Puga attempted to clear the ball off the line, but it ricocheted off Herrero and into the net for an own goal.
Mbappe added Madrid’s third with a superb volley from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross, taking his tally to four goals for the season and moving him to the top of the La Liga scoring charts.
Malaga, newly promoted to the Spanish top flight, came close to reducing the deficit before half-time. Rafa Rodriguez struck the post after a corner was played into his path, while Chupe fired narrowly wide into the side netting.
Madrid Keep first clean sheet
Real Madrid controlled the second half and largely kept their visitors at arm’s length, although Bellingham came close to adding another when his effort struck the outside of the post.
The hosts eventually found a fourth goal late on when Vinicius Junior set up substitute Arda Guler, who finished from close range.
The victory marked Madrid’s first clean sheet of the season, something manager Jose Mourinho highlighted as an important aspect of the performance.
“The second half was more about managing the game, at a lower tempo,” Mourinho told Real Madrid TV.
“Malaga were calmer on the ball, but every time we stepped up the pace, it always felt like we could score one or two more.
“One of our objectives was to keep a clean sheet.”
Bellingham, who was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second half, said he was enjoying his more advanced role under Mourinho.
“I’ve got the freedom to go higher or lower if we need. I’m enjoying myself a lot,” the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund midfielder told Real Madrid TV.
“It’s an honour to play for this club and in front of these fans, and the ovation was very nice.”
Madrid had entered the game with confidence after winning their opening two league matches, with Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius all making strong starts to the campaign.
Mourinho made five changes to the side that began the opening matches, handing first starts of the season to several players, including Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella.
The victory keeps Madrid’s perfect start intact as they continue to build momentum under Mourinho.
Elsewhere, Deportivo La Coruna secured their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Valencia.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his third goal of the campaign for the Galician side, while Deportivo also benefited from own goals by Cesar Tarrega and Mouctar Diakhaby.
Athletic Bilbao also claimed their first victory, beating Celta Vigo 2-0 through goals from Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro.
On Monday, defending champions Barcelona will host Rayo Vallecano in their third match of the campaign, having comfortably won their opening two fixtures.
AFP
