Jude Bellingham needed one long pass. Arda Guler sent it forward on the counter after 21 minutes at El Sardinero, the England midfielder ran on, went past goalkeeper Yulen Aguirrezabala and put Real Madrid 2-0 up against Racing Santander. That was close to the end of the contest on Sunday, 1 November, and Jose Mourinho's side went on to win 3-0 in round 11 of La Liga.
Kylian Mbappe had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 11th minute, his 12th league goal of the season and 15th in all competitions. Yan Diomande, playing with Vinicius Junior suspended, then added a fine third in the 36th, meeting a loose ball from a corner with a volley from outside the box that flew into the top corner. The Ivorian now has four goals and four assists in 14 games.
The second half asked little of the visitors. Mbappe came nearest to a fourth when he hit the bar around the hour. ESPN's numbers tell the same story: Madrid had 22 shots with seven on target, Racing 10 with only one. The hosts' best moment was a chance for Iker Luque that Thibaut Courtois kept out. It was never going to be enough on a day when Madrid were this sharp in the first half hour.
Coming straight after the 2-1 win over Barcelona, this result lifts Madrid to 27 points. They stay third, one behind Atletico Madrid and three behind Barcelona, with a trip to Valencia next. Racing remain 16th on 11 points, a single point above the relegation zone.
