It looks like manager Jose Mourinho, after lowering the focus on his two superstars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, has got Real Madrid back on the winning track.
England’s Jude Bellingham, who has felt sidelined after Kylian Mbappe signed for free from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, scored his 50th goal for Real Madrid as his side followed up last week’s El Clásico win with a statement win away to Racing Santander.
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The visitors were awarded a penalty in the 11th minute when Matteo Prati brought down Kylian Mbappé, and the French striker put the ball safely into the net from the penalty spot.
Jude Bellingham doubled the lead in the 21st minute. The England midfielder pulled himself from the halfway line, chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and rolled it into an empty net.
Record signing Yan Diomande made it 3-0 before half-time with a volley after a corner had been half-cleared.
Mbappé also hit the post in the 59th minute with a twisted effort from the edge of the box.
Santander later had a penalty annulled by the video assistant referee (VAR) after it was deemed that Aurelien Tchouameni’s hands were unintentional and occurred after the ball had deflected up from the midfielder’s boot.
Bellingham’s goal was his 50th in all competitions for the Spanish giants since joining the club as a 19-year-old for £88.5 million from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.
The 23-year-old former Birmingham City player has made 154 appearances for Real and has also recorded 37 assists.
He got the ball in the net for the second time on Sunday, but the calm, late finish in the bottom corner was cancelled out for offside.
The win means Real have won their last five games in all competitions and are only three points behind La Liga leader and rival Barcelona, who they beat 2-1 in their previous game.
José Mourinho’s side are in great form and have only lost two games this season, with the most recent loss to rivals Atlético Madrid on September 20.
Mourinho gave England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold a rare start and the former Liverpool defender came close to netting an early assist, but teammate Arda Güler curled his cross into the box just wide.
Alexander-Arnold, 28, has only started five of Real Madrid’s 14 games this season, with Denzel Dumfries and midfielder Federico Valverde often preferred at right-back.
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