Online Reporter
JUDE BELLINGHAM was Real Madrid’s ‘free lion’ as last season’s crisis club extended their rip-roaring start under Jose Mourinho.
England star Bellingham scored the first and saw another effort put down as an own goal in a mauling of Malaga.
It is three wins in three LaLiga games in the Special One’s second coming as manager at the Bernabeu. Real — left for dead by Barcelona last term under both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa — have scored 10 goals so far and conceded just two. Bellingham has been a big part of that and explained why — Mourinho has given him licence to roam. The Brummie, now fluent in Spanish, said: “I feel more free now. I have more freedom to move, to go up and down the pitch depending on what we need.
“I’m really enjoying my football — and that’s why I’m performing well.”
Kylian Mbappe, scorer of a hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Wednesday, added a third with just half an hour on the clock. And Arda Guler came off the bench to make it four late on.
Bellingham netted first on 19 minutes with a superb solo effort. He out-muscled Angel Recio in the middle of the park before driving at pace into the box.
That left two other challengers trailing before he fired home from a tight angle on the right.
VAR refused to uphold Recio’s cries of foul — and Real were on their way. Bellingham was unlucky not to claim his side’s second after Mbappe saw a shot parried.
He leapt to head the rebound goalwards but defender Carlos Puga ended up whacking it over the line off keeper Alfonso Herrero.
England reject Trent Alexander-Arnold had been brought back for this one and provided a pinpoint cross from the right four minutes later for Mbappe to convert first time. It was a 60th LaLiga goal for the France superstar. Only Harry Kane has been scoring more in Europe’s top leagues since Mbappe left Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
The second half was less impressive. Bernardo Silva came off the bench and so did Guler after Malaga had a penalty award overturned by VAR.
Guler tapped home Vinicius Junior’s cross from point-blank range following a swift one-two with the Brazilian. — Sun.
