Bellingham and Mbappé Shine as Mourinho’s Real Madrid Crush Málaga 4-0
Seven minutes later he was involved again, forcing an own goal when his header from a rebound struck the goalkeeper and crossed the line.
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham celebrating. Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Jude Bellingham produced a standout performance as Real Madrid continued their perfect start to the La Liga season with a dominant 4-0 victory over Málaga at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The England midfielder was the catalyst for José Mourinho’s side, opening the scoring in the 19th minute with a moment of individual brilliance. Collecting the ball 35 yards from goal, Bellingham dribbled past three defenders before finishing past Málaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero. Seven minutes later he was involved again, forcing an own goal when his header from a rebound struck the goalkeeper and crossed the line.
Kylian Mbappé effectively ended the contest before the half-hour mark. The French striker, fresh from a recent hat-trick against Real Sociedad, volleyed a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold into the bottom-left corner. Alexander-Arnold, restored to the starting lineup as one of five changes made by Mourinho, provided the assist.
Substitute Arda Güler completed the scoring in stoppage time, tapping home after a rapid counter-attack involving Vinícius Júnior. Real Madrid dominated the match with 56.7 percent possession and 19 shots to Málaga’s 14.
After the final whistle, Mourinho was full of praise for Bellingham. “He is an incredible player,” the Portuguese manager said. “He is very demanding of himself and he is also demanding of others. I didn’t want to see him defend almost like a second left-back.”
Mourinho also dismissed earlier reports of friction within his attacking unit. “Very, very good players always want to play together always, because they have the same speed of thought, the same quality and they always have to be compatible,” he explained. “It was said that I didn’t want the three, but what I say is that I always want the best. There is empathy and collective work. They are all very good.”
Bellingham himself has spoken positively about the freedom he feels under Mourinho’s second spell at the club. “I feel greater freedom again, greater freedom to decide when to drop back, when to push forward, or when to make runs into the box,” he said ahead of the match. “I think this is the best position for me, as it allows me to show all my abilities.”
The victory leaves Real Madrid top of the La Liga table with nine points from three matches. Mourinho, however, remains cautious about the challenges ahead, particularly the three-week international break that risks disrupting the squad’s rhythm.
The result underlined the early promise of Mourinho’s return to the Bernabéu. With Bellingham operating at a high level, Mbappé in clinical form and a balanced squad contributing across the pitch, Los Blancos look well-placed as they aim to challenge for the title this season.
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