Madrid’s Bellingham Strikes Twice in Osasuna Thrashing
Jude Bellingham continued his scintillating form by scoring twice as Real Madrid decimated Osasuna 4-0 on Saturday, propelling themselves back to the summit of La Liga.
Although Girona briefly held a one-point lead following their 1-0 triumph over Cadiz, Madrid effortlessly seized control of the situation at Santiago Bernabeu. Vinicius Junior and Joselu also contributed to the scoreline.
Bellingham, the English international who tops the division’s goal-scoring charts with eight goals, once again showcased his unstoppable prowess in the attacking third. Under the guidance of Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who shifted him into a more offensive role behind two central strikers, Bellingham’s performance has been nothing short of exceptional.
This transformation bore fruit as Bellingham not only scored a remarkable solo goal against Napoli in the midweek Champions League fixture but also added two more against Osasuna. This impressive display takes his tally to 10 goals across both competitions in just 10 appearances.
Due to defensive injuries to David Alaba and Eder Militao, along with Nacho’s suspension resulting from a reckless tackle in the previous weekend’s match against Girona, Ancelotti deployed Aurelien Tchouameni as a defensive midfielder alongside Antonio Rudiger at the heart of the defense.
Remarkably, Tchouameni had a relatively quiet day as Madrid dominated proceedings, ensuring their continued occupancy of the top spot during the international break.
Madrid opened the scoring after just nine minutes when Luka Modric, handed a rare start, provided a delightful pass to Dani Carvajal, who cleverly set up Bellingham. The midfielder penetrated the box, created space for himself, and then unleashed a powerful shot past goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, who had little chance to react.
Vinicius had an opportunity to extend the lead but opted to shoot narrowly over the bar when passing to Bellingham might have been the wiser choice. Meanwhile, Madrid’s goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, had a relatively uneventful match, merely watching the action unfold at the other end of the field.
