If the Santiago Bernabéu were a confessional, this August all Real Madrid footballers have purged their sins. Three matches, three wins, ten goals for and two against, two thrashings at the white stadium with confidence and moments of good play, those of verticality and individual talent that provoke the delight of the fans. But, above all, the feeling of a team offered by Mourinho’s men excites the people: everyone runs, everyone plays, everyone dribbles, everyone hugs… The Portuguese’s influence, for now, is a miracle cure. Right now the locker room is a calm sea when before it was a boiling pot.
If Mbappé’s hat-trick stood out against Real Sociedad, the victory against Málaga bears Bellingham’s signature (4-0). Positioned as an attacking midfielder, the Englishman, a shadow last season and booed by the Bernabéu crowd, recovers the version that amazed in his first year at Chamartín, that complete midfielder.
The footballer was the beginning and end of Madrid’s play. Without Bernardo Silva and Güler, replaced by Camavinga and Brahim, Bellingham was the driver of the attacking play, the example when activating pressure and the opener. After a good first few minutes from Málaga, whose football is one of those that pleases the eye, the Englishman recovered the ball in the three-quarter line (Málaga asked for a foul on Recio) and pressed the accelerator, getting rid of Galilea and Rafita to slip the ball between Herrero’s legs (1-0).
With no time to digest the blow, the Englishman himself headed a rebound from the goalkeeper to a shot by Mbappé and Málaga got confused while clearing. The goalkeeper himself ended up putting the ball into his own net (2-0). Mbappé, four minutes later, on a pass from Trent Alexander, volleyed across to seal the first half hour (3-0). Málaga did not see it coming, but Madrid was already dominant when entering the rival area. From a sneeze, the whites created a real hurricane for the Andalusians. In ten minutes led by Bellingham.
Aware that success lies in locker room management, Mourinho also gave the start to Rüdiger instead of Konate and Cucurella for Carreras. Two soldiers who fulfilled their role without fuss.
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A shot from Rafa Rodríguez hitting the post, to end the first act, was the only chance with venom from the visitors. After the break, they reinforced the midfield to gain solidity, and Madrid kept going relentlessly also led by a supportive Valverde in pressure, acting as captain, an extension of Mourinho. Bellingham, with a left-footed shot, hit the post before the hour mark. The decibels dropped. Camavinga continued sowing doubts with his lapses. And Mourinho gave time to Diomande.
The same expectations have been placed on the Ivorian as determined by his price (130 million). Another challenge for a Mourinho who does not want to unbalance the team and will fit him in gradually. Few dribbles, still very shy, a penalty for handball overturned by the referee after seeing it on VAR: the ball hit his arm but after a rebound from Rüdiger.
With the game open, with Güler’s entry the team found a beacon to improve counterattacks. The 4-0 came from the Turk after an assist from Vinícius at the edge of added time and Mbappé was inches from making it five. Mourinho’s Madrid is a steamroller with Bellingham now at the controls. The Bernabéu celebrates it.
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