{"id":59008,"date":"2024-02-12T00:40:17","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T00:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/bellingham-brace-helps-leaders-madrid-crush-title-rivals-girona-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2024-02-12T00:40:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T00:40:17","slug":"bellingham-brace-helps-leaders-madrid-crush-title-rivals-girona-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/bellingham-brace-helps-leaders-madrid-crush-title-rivals-girona-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Bellingham brace helps leaders Madrid crush title rivals Girona | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nMADRID:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jude Bellingham struck twice as leaders Real Madrid<\/a> took control of La Liga with a punishing 4-0 win over second-placed Girona on Saturday, opening up a five-point cushion.<\/p>\n

Vinicius Junior drove home the opener and then set up Bellingham for the second as Carlo Ancelotti’s side dominated the Catalan minnows, leaving the surprise title contenders reeling.<\/p>\n

Bellingham tapped in the third after the break from close range but limped off with an ankle problem early in the second half.<\/p>\n

Rodrygo kept the goals flowing with a fine individual effort as the record 35-time Spanish champions taught Girona, in the top flight for only the fourth year in their history, a compelling lesson.<\/p>\n

Victory leaves Madrid 11 points clear of champions Barcelona, third, who host Granada on Sunday.<\/p>\n

“Jude is a star, he scores a lot of goals and I hope he can keep going,” Vinicius told Real Madrid TV.<\/p>\n

“Jude has been the best this season, we’re doing things well and we’re happy because we’re a family.”<\/p>\n

Real Madrid coach Ancelotti<\/a> reserved high praise for Vinicius, a constant thorn in Girona’s side.<\/p>\n

“When he plays like this and with this attitude, he’s the best in the world, in my personal opinion,” said the Italian.<\/p>\n

Madrid’s triumph was convincing, with swagger but also sweat to keep the league’s top goalscoring side quiet, despite significant injury absences.<\/p>\n

Ancelotti started with a makeshift central defensive pairing of Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni, with all four of the club’s specialists in the position out.<\/p>\n

“Today we beat the world record for centre-back injuries,” joked Ancelotti.<\/p>\n

Girona were without the suspended Daley Blind and Yangel Herrera, as well as coach Michel Sanchez, watching on helplessly from a high vantage point as his team were dismantled.<\/p>\n

“When you face opponents of such a level, it lets you see what your reality is, a bit,” admitted Michel, who said his team were still having an “incredible” season despite the result.<\/p>\n

They started well against Madrid but conceded early in a thorough 3-0 home defeat in September, and committed the same mistake again at the Santiago Bernabeu.<\/p>\n

This time Vinicius broke the deadlock in only the sixth minute, cutting in from the left and bending a vicious strike beyond Paulo Gazzaniga and in at the far post.<\/p>\n

Bellingham, who started the match level with Girona’s Artem Dovbyk on 14 goals as the league’s joint top scorer, doubled Madrid’s lead.<\/p>\n

The England international rounded Gazzaniga and then stroked home from a tight angle after a superb Vinicius pass sent him hurtling in on goal.<\/p>\n

Bellingham tapped in his 16th of the season in La Liga early in the second half after Gazzaniga could only tip Vinicius’ shot into his path.<\/p>\n

It was his last contribution, Ancelotti quickly withdrawing him afterwards for an ankle injury which he iced.<\/p>\n

Madrid face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday and will hope he is fit, after Bellingham reached 20 goals in 29 games across all competitions.<\/p>\n

However Los Blancos have plenty of other firepower if he needs to rest.<\/p>\n

Rodrygo rattled in the fourth after darting into the area as Girona collapsed — and perhaps their unlikely title bid has too.<\/p>\n

“All games are (important), but this one was a bit more so,” Rodrygo told Real Madrid TV.<\/p>\n

“I’m very happy, it was a special moment for me, my 50th goal … it was a perfect game for us.”<\/p>\n

Joselu hit the post with a penalty with the last kick of the game as Madrid dominated from start to finish, with Vinicius, Bellingham and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga shining.<\/p>\n

Girona defender Yan Couto was in tears at the end after a particularly difficult evening at the hands of Vinicius.<\/p>\n

“They went ahead with a great goal, we had to row against the tide,” said Girona winger Cristian Portu.<\/p>\n

“Today it all went badly and they had a great game.”<\/p>\n

Elsewhere Ante Budimir’s goal earned Osasuna a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad, who face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Las Palmas snatched a 2-0 win over Valencia with late goals from Alex Suarez and Marc Cardona while Alaves drew 1-1 with Villarreal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MADRID: Jude Bellingham struck twice as leaders Real Madrid took control of La Liga with a punishing 4-0 win over second-placed Girona on Saturday, opening up a five-point cushion. Vinicius Junior drove home the opener and then set up Bellingham for the second as Carlo Ancelotti’s side dominated the Catalan minnows, leaving the surprise title […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.tribune.com.pk\/media\/images\/Bellingham3-11707644030-0\/Bellingham3-11707644030-0.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t