Bellingham, Vinicius shine as Madrid thrash Alaves 5-0

Real Madrid’s Turkish midfielder #24 Arda Guler celebrates with Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior after scoring his team’s fifth goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 14, 2024. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior inspired runaway Spanish champions Real Madrid to a 5-0 rout of Alaves on Tuesday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side continued warming up for the Champions League final with a comprehensive demolition of their Basque visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bellingham scored the opener and played a part in Madrid’s next three goals, two scored by Vinicius, finding his best form at the business end of the season.

Turkish teenager Arda Guler added a late fifth to put the cherry on Madrid’s cake and moved them 17 points clear of second-place Barcelona.

Madrid celebrated their title with an open-top bus parade on Sunday but with the Wembley final a little over a fortnight away, nobody is letting their concentration slip.

Least of all Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made a fine double save from Samu Omorodion in the opening minutes.

After missing most of the season with a severe knee injury, Courtois is hoping for a Champions League final start and boasts three clean sheets in three matches since his return.

Ancelotti selected the vast majority of his first choice line-up after resting them at the weekend, and Madrid’s usual suspect opened the scoring. It was Bellingham, with his 19th league goal and perhaps his luckiest.

The England international directed Toni Kroos’ cross towards the far post where Dani Carvajal was running in, but the ball sank directly into the net.

Madrid doubled