La Liga: Bellingham, Mbappe Fire As Madrid Beat Malaga 4-0

Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season with a commanding 4-0 victory over newly promoted Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were among the scorers as Madrid produced a dominant first-half display to secure their third consecutive league victory under manager Jose Mourinho.

Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute with an impressive individual effort. The England midfielder collected the ball outside the penalty area, drove past defenders and finished through goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero’s legs.

Seven minutes later, Bellingham was involved again as Madrid doubled their advantage. Mbappe’s initial effort was saved by Herrero before Bellingham headed the rebound towards goal. Malaga defender Carlos Puga attempted to clear the ball, but it bounced off Herrero and ended up in his own net.

Madrid continued their assault and scored a third goal in the 30th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a precise cross into the area, allowing Mbappe to produce a superb volley that gave Herrero no chance.

The French striker’s goal was his fourth of the season and further strengthened his position at the top of the early La Liga scoring charts.

Malaga struggled to cope with Madrid’s attacking quality but had opportunities of their own before halftime. Rafa Rodriguez struck the post, while Chupe narrowly missed the target as the visitors attempted to reduce the deficit.

Madrid controlled the second half and created several opportunities to extend their advantage. Bellingham came close to scoring again when his effort struck the post in the 55th minute.

Mourinho made changes as the match progressed, with Bellingham receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted.

Arda Guler eventually completed the scoring in stoppage time after combining with Vinicius Junior. The Turkey international calmly finished the move to make it 4-0.

The victory keeps Real Madrid at the top of the early standings with nine points from three matches, maintaining their 100 per cent record.

Bellingham has also made an excellent start to the campaign, contributing four goal involvements across Madrid’s opening three league matches.

For Malaga, the defeat was a difficult return to the Santiago Bernabeu after their promotion to the top flight, but they showed moments of attacking threat despite being outplayed for long periods.

Real Madrid will now turn their attention to their next league fixture against Real Betis as Mourinho’s side look to continue their impressive opening run.