The English midfielder notched a goal and delivered a brilliant assist for another as Carlo Ancelotti’s team secured a 3-0 victory.
Real Madrid made a strong early statement in the La Liga title race with a convincing 3-0 triumph over surprise league leaders Girona on Saturday. Jude Bellingham, once more, played a central role in Madrid’s victory, contributing an assist for the opening goal and scoring the pivotal third goal upon his return to the starting lineup.
Early in the match, Girona posed challenges for Madrid as Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsygankov both squandered clear header opportunities in the first five minutes. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad also struggled to make an impact in the opposite direction, with Joselu and Vinicius Jr. finding it difficult to assert themselves in the game and displaying some looseness in the final third.
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However, as has been the case on several occasions this season, Bellingham altered the course of events. The English midfielder received the ball with room to maneuver and executed a skillful trivela pass to find the advancing Joselu, who had an easy finish from close range. Los Blancos doubled their lead shortly thereafter, capitalizing on a defensive lapse during a corner kick that allowed Aurelien Tchouameni to score with a powerful header, marking his first goal for the club.
Girona worked their way back into the contest after the break, forcing an athletic stop from Kepa Arrizabalaga, before missing a duo of chances from corners. Madrid should have put the game away at the other end, but Bellingham fluffed his lines under pressure.
He made no mistake at the second time of asking, though, latching onto a rebound and finding the bottom corner to seal yet another win in his burgeoning Madrid career. The match ended in controversy, meanwhile, as Madrid captain Nacho was sent off for a horrendous challenge in stoppage-time.