Jude Bellingham is the top scorer in La Liga with six goals to his name so far
Jude Bellingham scored his seventh goal of the season as Real Madrid moved top of La Liga with a comfortable victory over high-flying Girona.
Joselu opened the scoring from a fabulous Bellingham pass before Aurelien Tchouameni headed in the visitors’ second.
Bellingham completed the scoring with a smart second-half finish.
The win lifts Madrid above Girona and Barcelona, who beat Sevilla on Friday.
Girona, who topped the table going into the latest round of La Liga fixtures, started with a spring in their step and created two golden opportunities to take the lead.
Yangel Herrera headed narrowly over the crossbar from a central position inside the area, before Viktor Tsygankov struck the outside of the post from another free header.
Madrid gradually found their rhythm and eventually took the lead thanks to a marvellous piece of play from Bellingham, who picked out Joselu with the outside of his right boot to give the former Stoke and Newcastle forward an easy finish.
Tchouameni doubled Madrid’s lead four minutes later after being left completely unmarked from Toni Kroos’ inswinging corner.
The home side almost pulled one back five minutes into the second half, but Kepa Arrizabalaga was equal to David Lopez’s header and Eric Garcia was unable to steer home the rebound.
Bellingham got Madrid’s third with 20 minutes remaining, finding the far corner after Paulo Gazzaniga had parried Joselu’s initial effort. The 20-year-old is only the second player to score at least six goals in his first seven La Liga matches for Madrid this century, after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
The game ended on a sour note for the visitors as Nacho was dismissed deep into added time for a reckless challenge on Portu, who left the field on a stretcher.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team travel to Napoli in their second Champions League group match on Tuesday.
- Line-ups
- Match Stats
- Live Text
Line-ups
Girona
Formation 4-5-1
- 13Gazzaniga
- 20Couto
- 25García Booked at 64mins
- 17Blind
- 3Gutiérrez
- 8TsygankovSubstituted forFernándezat 45’minutes
- 21HerreraSubstituted forSolisat 87’minutes
- 5LópezSubstituted forPortugués Manzaneraat 60’minutesSubstituted forat 90+7’minutes
- 14García
- 16Moreira de OliveiraSubstituted forTorreat 79’minutes
- 9DovbykSubstituted forStuaniat 60’minutes Booked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 1Martín
- 4Martínez
- 6Kebe
- 7Stuani
- 10García
- 11Fernández
- 15Ramírez López
- 18Torre
- 22Solis
- 23Martín
- 24Portugués Manzanera
- 26Fuidias
Real Madrid
Formation 4-3-1-2
- 25Arrizabalaga Revuelta Booked at 84mins
- 2Carvajal
- 22Rüdiger Booked at 90mins
- 6Nacho Booked at 90mins
- 12Camavinga
- 15ValverdeSubstituted forDíazat 87’minutes
- 18Tchouaméni
- 5BellinghamSubstituted forCeballosat 74’minutes
- 8Kroos
- 7Vinícius JúniorSubstituted forRodrygoat 68’minutes
- 14JoseluSubstituted forVázquezat 87’minutes
Substitutes
- 10Modric
- 11Rodrygo
- 13Lunin
- 17Vázquez
- 19Ceballos
- 20García
- 21Díaz
- 23Mendy
- 26Piñeiro
- 34Carrillo
Referee: Juan Luis Pulido Santana
Attendance: 14,184
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Girona 0, Real Madrid 3.
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Second Half ends, Girona 0, Real Madrid 3.
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Eric García (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid).
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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- Portu went off injured after Girona had used all subs.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Cristhian Stuani (Girona) is shown the yellow card.
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Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card.
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Nacho (Real Madrid) is shown the red card.
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Delay in match because of an injury Portu (Girona).
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Delay in match (Real Madrid).
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VAR Decision: Card upgraded Nacho (Real Madrid).
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Portu (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Nacho (Real Madrid).
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Yan Couto (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid).
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Cristhian Stuani (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- Foul by Nacho (Real Madrid).
*[]: *[Moreira de Oliveira]: Sávio *[Torre]: Pablo Torre *[Dovbyk]: Artem Dovbyk *[Stuani]: Cristhian Stuani *[Martín]: Iván Martín *[Martínez]: Arnau Martínez *[Kebe]: Ibrahima Kebe *[Ramírez López]: Juanpe *[Fuidias]: Toni Fuidias *[Arrizabalaga Revuelta]: Kepa *[Carvajal]: Dani Carvajal *[Rüdiger]: Antonio Rüdiger *[Nacho]: Nacho *[Camavinga]: Eduardo Camavinga *[Valverde]: Federico Valverde *[Díaz]: Brahim Díaz *[Tchouaméni]: Aurélien Tchouaméni *[Bellingham]: Jude Bellingham *[Ceballos]: Dani Ceballos *[Kroos]: Toni Kroos *[Vinícius Júnior]: Vinícius Júnior *[Rodrygo]: Rodrygo *[Joselu]: Joselu *[Vázquez]: Lucas Vázquez *[Modric]: Luka Modric *[Lunin]: Andriy Lunin *[Mendy]: Ferland Mendy *[Piñeiro]: Diego Piñeiro *[Carrillo]: Álvaro Carrillo
