Jude Bellingham Delivers As Real Madrid Punish Girona, Sociedad Win Basque Derby vs Athletic Bilbao
NDTV
Real Madrid lead with 21 points from eight games, a point ahead of Barcelona, who are in turn a point ahead of Girona.
Inspired by Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid showed both steel and class to beat high-flying Girona 3-0 on Saturday and move back top of La Liga. Real Sociedad thrashed Athletic Bilbao by the same scoreline to win the Basque derby later on and rise to fourth. Girona headed into the weekend as unlikely leaders but champions Barcelona usurped them by beating Sevilla on Friday, with Madrid then deposing their rivals at the league's summit with a solid triumph on Catalan soil.
Joselu and Aurelien Tchouameni's first-half goals were enough to burst Girona's bubble and after that the record 35-time La Liga winners kept the plucky upstarts at arm's length.
The stylish Bellingham netted with 20 minutes remaining to seal Madrid's victory and continue his own sparkling run of goalscoring form.
Madrid defender Nacho was sent off late in the match for an ugly high tackle on Portu, who went off injured.
"Nacho wasn't thinking clearly, he's usually a player who does things right, he has said sorry," said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who praised his team's display.
