Jude Bellingham became the first player in a century this season when he scored 15 league goals for Real Madrid. The squad advanced well towards the crown with a four-goal victory over their nearest La Liga opponents.
On Saturday night, Madrid defeated Girona 2-0 thanks to goals from Vinicus and Bellingham in the first half of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Vinicus was declared the top player in the match. He first scored a second goal in the second half. Then, he departed the game due to an ankle injury, which Madrid is hoping won’t prevent them from playing RB Leipzig in the Champions League round of 16 the following week.
As he received his second and hobbled out, the fans let out a collective “Hey Jude.” It wasn’t limited to the boisterous South End.
When he first surfaced last summer, it seemed absurd to compare him to Zinedine Zidane; nonetheless, the Frenchman never finished a league season with more than nine goals scored. Bellingham currently has 16 with the most of the second half of the season remaining.
With Girona behind Real Madrid by just two points in the standings, this game seems like a championship matchup. For a squad that is only in its fourth season in the top division, this is an incredible football accomplishment.
Even though Bellingham was excellent, he wasn’t the best player on the home squad; Madrid was simply too strong for them to handle. That title belonged to Vinicius.
Seven minutes in, he set up the first goal—the first Girona has allowed all season—which came from beyond the box.His neck ached during warm-ups, so he had to depart late and missed the last Real Madrid game. He entered the space from the left and placed the ball from the area’s boundary into the upper corner. Girona’s time to suffer was now.
Despite having four defenders positioned around him and a Girona player on every corner, none of them took any action when his shot found its mark. The game’s opening goal was scored by Vinicius, who came off the bench during the visitors’ initial possessions.
Kylian Mbappe is almost definitely going to move to Real Madrid this summer. But since Vinicius is the finest player in the world at playing through the middle, he could have to start from there rather than his ideal place, which is coming off the left foot and onto his right.
Should Mbappe play through the middle, what should Bellingham do? In the second half, Vitus made a fantastic ball to him that Luka Modric would have been pleased with. The English midfielder was in front of him when Yan Couto, a Brazilian, twisted the ball around him and straight into the path of the sprinting player, splitting Girona’s defenders in the middle. Bellingham scored from close range when he lowered his shoulder and sidestepped goalie Paulo Gazzaniga.
After the early goals, Madrid’s starting eleven—which lacked a single central defender—did not have as much to worry about. Ever since he went through Mason Greenwood and injured himself more severely than the Getafe attacker, Antonio Rudiger has been through a difficult period. Not even the starting lineup included him. Due to extended injury absences for David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Nacho, Carlo Ancelotti was forced to start playmaker Aurelien Tchouameni in the midst of the back four and full-back Dani Carvajal at full back. They had no difficulties throughout the opening part of the game.
Girona’s first shot on goal came from Miguel Gutierrez, who moved forward from left back as play resumed. The player who was once a member of Real Madrid’s junior team attempted a dangerous cross that Andriy Lunin had to tip away. Madrid still has an eight million euro opportunity to sign him.
Savinho, a Brazilian winger, has joined Manchester City through the conclusion of the current campaign. Then, as Michel’s squad continued to play better in the opening minutes of the second half than they had throughout the first, he skipped by Lucas Vazquez.
Girona has been the comeback queen this season. They may be extremely strong, but it was all in vain when they faced Bellingham and Vinicius. Ancelotti was ready to substitute Bellingham because he was concerned about his left ankle injury that he had earlier in the game. But Bellingham had one more objective left in him.
Vinicus was once again surrounded by Girona players, but this time he managed to elude them on the right wing. Bellingham poked it in from close range, but Gazzaniga stopped his cross.
Brahim Diaz took his position immediately away, and as he walked out to blow kisses to the Madrid supporters he had known since his first game, “Hey Jude” reverberated around the stadium.
Bellingham was gone, but Madrid remained a very real threat. As Vinicus regained possession of the ball, Rodrygo scored the fourth goal by sprinting forward while receiving treatment on his ankle on the sidelines.
After Arda Guler was fouled, Joselu missed the game’s last penalty kick. It was time for it to end for Girona, and when the penalty kick hit the post, it did. The Spanish title race may be the same way.
