Bellingham, Mbappe Fire Real Madrid Past Malaga

Real Madrid continued their impressive start to the new 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 Los Blancos produced a dominant first-half display, scoring three times in just over 10 minutes to put the visitors out of contention.

Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a brilliant solo effort, beating two defenders before firing the ball through goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero’s legs.

Seven minutes later, the England midfielder played a key role in Real Madrid’s second. Herrero initially denied Mbappe, but Bellingham headed the rebound towards goal, with Malaga defender Carlos Puga’s attempted clearance deflecting off Herrero and into the net.

Mbappe then made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute, volleying home from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross for his fourth goal of the campaign, taking him to the top of the La Liga scoring charts.

Bellingham, who was operating in a more advanced midfield role under Jose Mourinho, was given a standing ovation by the Bernabeu crowd when he was substituted in the second half.

“I’ve got the freedom to go higher or lower if we need, I’m enjoying myself a lot,” Bellingham said.

Malaga threatened briefly before half-time, with Rafa Rodriguez hitting the post and Chupe firing into the side netting, but Real Madrid remained firmly in control.

The hosts managed the game comfortably after the break, although Bellingham came close to adding another when his effort struck the outside of the post.

Arda Guler eventually completed the scoring late in the match after being set up by Vinicius Junior, sealing Real Madrid’s first clean sheet of the season.

Mourinho praised his side’s ability to control the match after the interval, saying maintaining a clean sheet was one of their key objectives.

“Football isn’t just about having fun with the beauty of the goals — it’s also about going home thinking that we’re a solid unit,” the Real Madrid boss said.

The victory means Real Madrid have won all three of their opening league matches, with Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius all making strong starts to the campaign.

Elsewhere, Deportivo La Coruna secured their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Valencia, while Athletic Bilbao defeated Celta Vigo 2-0.

Champions Barcelona will host Rayo Vallecano on Monday as they look to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.