Mourinho’s Madrid Move Top With Third Strai…

Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images

Real Madrid continued their impressive start under Jose Mourinho after thrashing Malaga 4-0 to move top of LALIGA on Sunday evening.

LALIGA
Teams: Real Madrid v Malaga
Result: 4-0
Scorers: Bellingham (19′), Herrero 26′ (OG), Mbappé (30′), Guler (90′)

Buoyed by an emphatic midweek victory, Los Blancos chased another to overtake FC Barcelona at the top, with the visitors winless on their return to the top flight after being held by Deportivo on Monday.

Jude Bellingham set the ball rolling in the opening-quarter when he picked up possession outside the area and made a decoy run to the right to fire into the far corner.

Madrid made the contest more commanding right on the half-hour mark when a move around the box to the right found Trent Alexander-Arnold, who crossed accurately for Kylian Mbappe to volley in first-time to take his tally to four league goals.

Los Boquerones rose on the back of the tough start and were close to halving the tally with a cleverly worked shot in the box by Rafa Rodrigez from a corner-kick, but the upright prevented him.

Bellingham looked to haunt the visitors again ten minutes after halftime in a dominant opening by the host and almost a fourth through a telling strike in the box following a delivery by Vinicius Junior, but the post smothered him.

Madrid was in again as Vinicius came to the edge of the area and teed-up Alexander-Arnold for a shot from the box, but the marauding fullback was unable to get the better of Herrero.

Big-money signing Yan Diomande was thrown into the fray from the substitutes bench for the closing quarter and stepped in for Brahim Diaz.

There was drama in the final minutes to full-time when Boquerones got a spot-kick from a free-kick involving Haitam Abaida, but the contentious decision was overturned after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Madrid, however, did have the final say though as Vinicius latched on a ball high-up after forcing a turnover and cutback for Arda Guler, who found the back of the net to wrap up an emphatic victory.

Upcoming Fixtures:

Real Madrid: Real Betis (A), Rayo Vallecano (H), Elche (A)

Malaga: Levante (H), Celta Vigo (A), Villarreal (H)

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