Guler Mbappe Bellingham Real Madrid GFXGetty

Real Madrid player ratings vs Leganes: Arda Guler has got to start much more - Turkish wonderkid shines as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham grab goals in ideal Liverpool warm-up

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.

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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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