Jude Bellingham continued his dazzling form, leading Real Madrid to a commanding 3-0 win over Girona on Saturday, narrowing Barcelona’s lead in La Liga to just two points.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the first half and set up Arda Güler for Madrid’s second before Kylian Mbappé sealed the victory with a clinical finish. Despite picking up a knock, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Bellingham’s availability for Madrid’s upcoming Champions League clash against Atalanta.
The win followed a midweek loss to Athletic Bilbao, with Ancelotti promising improvement. “Bellingham scored his fifth goal running (in La Liga), Mbappe scored, Brahim (Diaz) did good work, Arda scored a great goal,” Ancelotti said.
“We have to bear the moment out and as I said, bit by bit we will come back (to form).”
Meanwhile, Barcelona dropped points in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Real Betis. Assane Diao’s 94th-minute equaliser stunned the Catalans, who had led through goals by Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick lamented his side’s struggles away from home, calling for better performances on the road.
With the title race heating up, Real Madrid’s resurgence puts pressure on Barcelona, while both teams shift focus to their Champions League fixtures next week.
