Bellingham brace helps leaders Madrid crush title rivals Girona

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 (Feb 10), 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 contenders reeling.

Bellingham tapped in the third after the break from close range but limped off with an ankle problem early in the second half.

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.

Victory leaves Madrid 11 points clear of champions Barcelona, third, who host Granada on Sunday.

Madrid's victory was convincing, with swagger at times but also sweat to keep the league's top goalscoring side quiet, despite significant injury absences.

Carlo 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.

Girona was without the suspended Daley Blind, Yangel Herrera, and coach Michel Sanchez, watching on helplessly from a high vantage point as his team were dismantled.

They started well against Madrid but conceded early in a thorough 3-0 home defeat earlier in the season and committed the same mistake again at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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.

Back in the team after missing the Madrid derby with a neck problem, Vinicius' drive was his seventh league goal of a season disrupted by