Real Madrid 4-0 Girona: Jude Bellingham scores twice but goes off injured as Real Madrid thump Girona

Jude Bellingham scored twice earlier than going off injured as leaders Real Madrid thumped title challengers Girona to go 5 factors clear in La Liga.

Bellingham then scored his first of the sport from a chic Vinicius cross earlier than changing his twentieth of the season after half-time.

Rodrygo made it 4-0, earlier than Joselu struck the put up with a late penalty.

Bellingham has now scored extra La Liga objectives for Real Madrid than another midfielder in a single season this century – but the England worldwide’s night time ended on a bitter observe as he was compelled off with an ankle damage.

He fell to the bottom after colliding with Pablo Torre and was handled on the pitch for a number of minutes earlier than gingerly attending to his ft.

Determined to proceed, the 20-year-old struck his second of the sport after Paulo Gazzaniga had saved Vinicius’ preliminary effort, but he was too damage to hold on and was changed by Brahim Diaz moments later.

He was pictured on the Madrid bench with an ice pack strapped to his foot, but supervisor Carlo Ancelotti says the damage is nothing greater than a sprained ankle and is “hopeful” Bellingham will get better in time for Tuesday’s journey to RB Leipzig within the Champions League.

‘They are in awe of Jude’

Bellingham has exceeded all expectations since becoming a member of Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in an £88m deal final summer season.

In November, he turned the primary participant to attain 14 objectives in his first 15 appearances for the membership in a 3-0 victory at Cadiz, surpassing the earlier document held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano and Pruden Sanchez.

He can be the primary Madrid participant to attain in every of his first 4 Champions League appearances for the membership – and stays La Liga’s high scorer this season with 16 objectives.

He had solely discovered the online as soon as for the reason that flip of the yr, but Spanish soccer journalist Guillem Balague feels the previous Birmingham participant has blossomed right into a “full midfielder” on the Bernabeu, attributing Bellingham’s lack of objectives to a change in place.

“They are in awe of Jude in Madrid,” Balague stated. “He is, maybe with [Antoine] Griezmann, the most effective participant in La Liga in the meanwhile.

“[His recent lack of goals] is partly all the way down to the truth that he is requested to be extra concerned in each offensive and defensive work – and slightly bit deeper.

“But [he is] within the high seven in objectives scored, actions completed, and in defensive stats [like] recovering the ball. He’s been excellent.”

Vinicius, who registered his twelfth aim of the season in opposition to Girona, was simply as effusive in his reward of his team-mate, telling Real Madrid TV: “Jude is a star.

“He scores lots of objectives and I hope he can preserve going. Jude has been the most effective this season. We’re doing issues properly and we’re comfortable as a result of we’re a household.”

The victory extends Madrid’s unbeaten La Liga run to 18 matches – their longest stretch with out defeat since 2021.

Girona, in the meantime, stay in a superb place within the high 4 regardless of slipping to simply their second league defeat of an outstanding campaign.