Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde got on the scoresheet, but Arda Guler was the real master craftsman as Real Madrid beat Leganes 3-0 on Sunday. The Turkish teenager delivered a midfield masterclass to lead an otherwise lacking Madrid side who looked mightily short of their immense potential.
Carlo Ancelotti's side created a handful of half-chances early on, and Mbappe had the ball in the net, but was flagged offside. Guler, handed a rare start, caused problems, too, and saw a shot well saved after weaving through the Leganes defence. It was an otherwise middling opening for Los Blancos, who looked lost going forward at times - and lazy in their attempts to win the ball back.
A moment of quality changed things, as Vinicius Jr latched onto a loose ball after a Bellingham tackle, and squared for Mbappe, who couldn't miss from close range. Valverde added a second after the break, smashing home a free-kick at the near post, before Bellingham delivered the killer third in the closing stages, heading into an empty net after Brahim Diaz's deflected strike fell kindly off the bar.
The scoreline might have looked good, but Madrid were poor for long stretches here, and against a better and more expansive side might have been punished. That will certainly be put to the test on Wednesday, when they travel to Liverpool in the Champions League.
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