Real Madrid put some dents to Girona’s title hope as they ran riot at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid flexed their muscles over closest challengers Girona, demolishing the Catalan outfit 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to go five points clear at the La Liga summit and extend their unbeaten home league run to 17 games.
The clash of La Liga’s top two promised to be a closer affair, but Madrid showed their class in the first half. Vinicius Junior curled in an absolute beauty off the post inside just six minutes to open the scoring – his sixth goal in as many appearances.
After an earlier injury scare, Jude Bellingham made it two by rounding goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga after receiving a wonderful outside-the-foot through pass from Vin(cius, netting his 15th league goal and placing him as La Liga’s outright top scorer. In truth, Girona could not get near Los Blancos, as they recorded only one shot on goal before the break.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men continued to dominate early in the second half, and the two scorers were involved again to seal an impressive victory. Vinicius danced his way through the Girona defence before unleashing a shot that had to be parried by Gazzaniga, but only into the path of Bellingham who gratefully tapped home his 20th goal for the club – making him the joint-highest scoring Englishman in Real’s history.
Unfortunately, the injury he felt in the first half made him unable to carry on, as he was substituted moments later to the despair of the home crowd.
The hosts continued to play some sumptuous attacking football regardless, and it was only a matter of time before Rodrygo also got involved.
The Brazilian caressed his 50th goal for Real into the bottom corner just after the hour-mark, after being set up by his fellow countryman Vinicius, who was lighting up the Bernabeu.
Substitute Arda Guler won a penalty just before stoppage time that could have added more gloss to the scoreline, but another substitute Joselu could not convert as he hit the post.
Regardless, the result puts Real in pole position to win their 36th league title, while Michel has a lot to ponder as he could only watch his side be outplayed and outclassed from the stands.
