Real Madrid beat Malaga 0-4 on Sunday, and Jude Bellingham was the clear reason the game felt settled so early. He scored the opener, drove the move that led to the second, and finished with an 8.5 rating, the highest among the named Madrid starters. In Real Madrid vs Malaga, the scoreline was emphatic, but Bellingham's control of the contest stood out even more.

RTE Sport summed up the early swing neatly: "Jude Bellingham's fine strike set Real Madrid on their way to a 4-0 La Liga rout of Malaga that gave Jose Mourinho his third win since returning to the club this summer."

Bellingham set the tone from the start

Bellingham's opener was the best moment of the night. He beat three Malaga defenders before firing past goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero, a goal that captured the difference in quality between the sides and the authority with which Madrid started.

He officially finished with one goal, and that matters here because the second strike does need to be framed correctly. Bellingham's header went in off Herrero, but it was credited as an own goal by the Malaga keeper, not a second goal for the midfielder. Madrid still owed plenty to Bellingham for the move, even if the scoresheet does not give him another finish.

That distinction is worth keeping straight because it does not reduce his performance. If anything, it shows how much of Madrid's attacking threat ran through him without forcing the facts. He scored once, pushed Malaga back repeatedly and carried the game from midfield rather than just popping up in the box.

His 8.5 rating supports that reading. It was the best among the named Real Madrid starters, and it fits the eye test from the match itself. Bellingham was not just involved in the big moments, he shaped the whole first half.

Mbappé and Alexander-Arnold finished the job

Once Madrid were two up, the rest looked straightforward. Kylian Mbappé made it 3-0 with half an hour gone, finishing a move created by Trent Alexander-Arnold down the right. Alexander-Arnold ended the game with one assist, and Madrid's right side was a consistent route into the box.

RTE Sport, quoted by rte.ie, reported: "Trent Alexander-Arnold then set up Kylian Mbappe to make it 3-0 with half an hour gone, and Arda Guler added a late fourth."

Mbappé's own numbers were strong as well. He scored once and posted an 8.9 rating, which was higher than Bellingham's, but the rhythm of the match had already been established by the time he struck. That is why Bellingham still feels like the headline act from a game that also showcased Madrid's depth in the final third.

Arda Güler's late goal completed the 4-0 scoreline and reinforced that point. Madrid did not need to lean on one scorer. They had Bellingham breaking lines, Mbappé finishing moves and support arriving from elsewhere once Malaga had lost any grip on the contest.

Mourinho gets another win, but the night belonged to Bellingham

The result gave Jose Mourinho his third win since returning to Real Madrid this summer, which adds a broader layer to an already comfortable night. Still, this was less about a managerial storyline than the quality on the pitch, especially from Bellingham.

Madrid had several standout contributors. Mbappé scored and rated 8.9. Alexander-Arnold supplied one assist. Güler came on and scored once. Yet the most memorable passage remained the first goal, when Bellingham drove through three defenders and finished the move himself.

That is the sequence most fans will remember from a game Madrid won 4-0. It put them in control early, it set the tone for everything that followed, and it came from the player who looked most influential all night.

FAQ

Why was Jude Bellingham the main talking point in Real Madrid vs Malaga?

Bellingham set the tone for Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Malaga. He beat three defenders before scoring the opener, was heavily involved in the second goal even though it went down as an own goal by Alfonso Herrero, and finished with an 8.5 rating, the highest among the named Real Madrid starters.

Did Jude Bellingham score twice against Malaga for Real Madrid?

No. Bellingham officially scored once in the 4-0 win. He also forced the second goal with a header that went in off Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero, but that effort was credited as an own goal rather than a second Bellingham goal.

How did Kylian Mbappé and Trent Alexander-Arnold affect Real Madrid vs Malaga?

Mbappé added Real Madrid's third goal after being set up by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Mbappé finished with an 8.9 rating and one goal, while Alexander-Arnold recorded one assist. Their contribution mattered because the game was already under Madrid's control and they turned that control into a rout.

How strong has Real Madrid's start been under Jose Mourinho?

The Malaga result gave Jose Mourinho his third win since returning to Real Madrid this summer. This match was driven mainly by the quality of Madrid's attackers, especially Bellingham, but the result still added to a strong early run.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →