Three goals before the interval
Real Madrid needed 37 minutes to settle their trip to Racing Santander. It was 3-0 at El Sardinero long before the break, and the sixth straight win in all competitions for José Mourinho’s team was effectively banked.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from the spot in the 11th minute after Prati clipped him inside the area. Jude Bellingham doubled the lead on 22 minutes, running onto Arda Güler’s ball over the top and chipping the goalkeeper. Yan Diomandé then finished the job in the 37th, meeting a half-cleared corner and hitting a first-time shot into the top corner.
The second half was calmer, though not without drama. Bellingham had a fourth for Madrid ruled out for offside deep in stoppage time, and Mbappé hit the post in the 60th minute from a position that was offside anyway.
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A rough week for Mbappé, a smooth afternoon
Mbappé arrived under pressure. He finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting, 28 points behind the winner, then spent the week answering questions about a joke about Mao Zedong that caused a stir in China. A penalty inside 11 minutes was a decent way to change the subject.
The numbers were lopsided: seven shots on target for Madrid against one for the hosts, and 54% of possession. The win follows five victories in a row that included last weekend’s Clásico.
Santander’s moment of hope
The promoted side did get one scare in. In the 73rd minute the referee pointed to the spot for a Tchouaméni handball, only to change his mind three minutes later after a video review. A lighter was thrown onto the pitch afterwards and the home crowd turned on every decision. Captain Álvaro Mantilla had already limped off on 29 minutes with a knee problem.
Santander won 2-1 against Espanyol last time out after four games without a win, and Levante in 18th place are a single point behind them.
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