Real Madrid beat Malaga 4-0 to keep perfect La Liga start
Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe scored, with substitute Arda Guler adding a late fourth, as Jose Mourinho made it three wins from three.
Three Goals Inside 30 Minutes
Real Madrid beat newly promoted Malaga 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain's top division, La Liga, on Sunday, with three of the goals coming inside the opening half hour. Al Jazeera reported that Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute, collecting a loose ball near the edge of the area, gliding past three defenders and finishing low beneath goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero.
The second arrived seven minutes later. Herrero could only palm out a Kylian Mbappe effort, Bellingham headed the rebound back towards goal, and the ball ended up in the net as the goalkeeper collided with a teammate trying to clear. Al Jazeera recorded it as an own goal by Herrero.
Mbappe made it 3-0 in the 30th minute, volleying in a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Substitute Arda Guler completed the scoring in added time, starting and finishing a move by feeding Vinicius Junior and tapping in the return pass. Malaga's best moment came in the 15th minute, when Joaquin Munoz drove a shot narrowly past Thibaut Courtois's top corner.
The Underlying Numbers
Managing Madrid, a site that publishes data analysis on the club, reported that among the 20 players who were on the pitch for 60 minutes or more, Real Madrid occupied the top six places for open play expected threat created, a measure of how much a player's actions increase the likelihood of a goal.
Alexander-Arnold led on 0.419, ahead of Vinicius Junior on 0.252, Eduardo Camavinga and Mbappe on 0.210 each, Federico Valverde on 0.176 and Bellingham on 0.174. Alexander-Arnold also topped the match for progressive passes with 24 and touches with 117, adding three key passes and seven ball recoveries, though his long ball completion was 43%.
Mbappe led all players for touches in the final third with 44 and for progressive carries with nine, completing 91% of his passes. Camavinga made nine ball recoveries, more than anyone else, and completed 90% of his passes.
Bellingham's Role and Mourinho's Record
Writing for Sky Sports, Adam Bate said Bellingham was the best player on the pitch, operating as a number 10, the attacking midfield role just behind the forward line. Bate noted that under previous coach Carlo Ancelotti the England international had been used deeper, out wide and up front, while Jose Mourinho has been clear that he wants him playing off Mbappe.
Al Jazeera reported that Mourinho made five changes to the side that started the first two league matches, handing Marc Cucurella a first start for the club and picking Alexander-Arnold ahead of Denzel Dumfries. The result lifted Real to nine points from three games, two clear of Atletico Madrid and Alaves, with Barcelona fourth on six points and a game in hand.
Sky Sports said there is no sign yet of the anticipated tension between Mourinho and Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid next travel to Seville on Friday to face Real Betis, then open their Champions League campaign at home to Inter Milan a few days later.
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