Bellingham and Mbappe score as Real Madrid beat Girona

Jude Bellingham inspired champions Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 win at Girona in La Liga on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe also on the scoresheet after two top-class spot-kicks.

Los Blancos reduced the gap to leaders Barcelona to two points after the Catalans played a 2-2 draw at Real Betis, with Madrid having played a game less.

Bellingham opened the scoring before half-time and set up Arda Guler for Madrid’s second before Mbappe added the third with a clinical finish.

Both Bellingham and defender Ferland Mendy were substituted in what appeared to be a defeat in the second half ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Atalanta.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Bellingham was fit for the game but said Mendy had suffered a muscle injury.

After Madrid’s fifth defeat in all competitions against Athletic Bilbao in midweek, having only suffered two defeats last season, Ancelotti promised his team would improve and they were noticeably better against Girona.

“Bellingham scored his fifth goal in a row (in La Liga), Mbappe scored, Brahim (Diaz) did a good job, Arda scored a great goal, as I said, little by little we will get back (to form),” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

With Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo out, Ancelotti chose Bellingham and Diaz to support Mbappe.

The French striker has been at the center of criticism in recent weeks after missing penalties against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao and struggling to find the form that made him a star at Paris Saint-Germain and his country.

Girona, who kept Madrid close to the Spanish title for a long time last season before eventually finishing third, started stronger and Bryan Gil missed and Donny van de Beek fired over.

Madrid came into the game, kept the hosts at bay and created their own chances.

Paulo Gazzaniga parried Brahim Diaz’s fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area as the champions shifted into gear.

Bellingham took the lead after 36 minutes when a cross from Diaz was blocked and the ball fell kindly to the England international, who shot through a crowd of players and into the goal.

It was Bellingham’s fifth goal in his last five La Liga games, with the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder finding the form that inspired Madrid to a Champions League and La Liga double last season.

After a quiet first half, Mbappe broke through at the start of the second half, shooting wide despite the striker controlling the ball to control it and if he had scored it would not have saved.

– Improved display –

Madrid continued to press and Gazzaniga saved well from Aurelien Tchouameni’s header from Luka Modric’s free-kick.

Los Blancos scored their second goal in the 55th minute when Bellingham played a lovely pass through to Guler, who rolled the ball into the goal.

Bellingham limped off after apparently sustaining a blow in a challenge before Mbappe secured Madrid’s third goal.

After Thibaut Courtois parried well from Yaser Asprilla, Madrid stormed forward on the counterattack.

Modric shot the French striker, who confidently finished from a tight angle on the right side of the penalty area, over Gazzaniga and into the bottom corner.

Madrid beat Girona 3-0 at the Montilivi and 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last season and this victory was further proof of the Catalans’ superiority over the Catalans.

Ancelotti will be hoping they can carry some momentum into the crucial Champions League game at Atalanta, where Vinicius is expected to return from a hamstring injury.

Girona, eighth in La Liga after a poor start to the season compounded by a series of injuries, welcomes Liverpool to the Champions League on Tuesday.

“If we were more precise in front of goal, it would have been different,” said Girona defender Miguel Gutierrez.

“We have to keep going, we have two very important games, Liverpool in the Champions League and then at Mallorca (in La Liga).”

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