Real Madrid are sleeping as leaders ahead of their match against Girona after beating Villarreal 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on a day when the two main title contenders, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, were unable to enter the field. Bilbao and Valencia.

Cholo’s defeat to Athletic and Culet’s draw at Mestalla spurred on the Real Madrid team, which did not hesitate for a second. The plan was put into action from the first minute, with intense pressure from the forwards preventing Villarreal from breaking away. Brahim, who eventually came into his own in the second half, played a key role in covering the brain of Castellon’s team, Dani Parejo, and Real Madrid took advantage of his work to gain possession in very advanced positions.

Ancelotti’s men always gave Villarreal a scare, with Rodrigo appearing interested from the start and the presence of Bellingham and Modric visible on the periphery of Villarreal’s zone. White’s onslaught could only be suppressed through a series of stoppages of the match, accompanied by various setbacks.

Baena and Gerard were injured a few minutes after the start of the match and, showing more courage than common sense, were “dragged” around the field for 29 and 45 minutes, respectively. If anyone could break the chronicle of events that the game seemed to become, it was Bellingham. The talented British midfielder took advantage of Modric’s exquisite cross and headed wide of the goal like a true number nine to score his thirteenth La Liga goal.

The momentum of the match and the difference in the game between Real and Villarreal turned everything upside down for the Whites; However, misfortune also befell Real Madrid, who lost Alaba in the 33rd minute after a completely unnatural twist of his knee.

Despite the worry left by Alaba’s gesture, joy soon returned to the Bernabeu as in the 37th minute Rodrigo latched on to a loose ball in the corner and, at will, extended his good run and lead with a cross-kick into Jorgensen’s net.

The break did not deprive Ancelotti’s men of their mission, and just a few seconds after returning from the dugout, Brahim warned of a dangerous arrival for Villarreal’s interests. Parejo, who was under pressure throughout the game, was able to bring quality clarity to the game, Terrats helped Morales, and El Comandante reduced the gap in the only case for Marcelino’s team.

Morales is on fire, the striker has scored five of his side’s La Liga goals since Marcelino’s return, making it 2-1 in the 53rd minute. Real Madrid’s Malaga striker Brahim contributed in the first half. Brahim was given his back in midfield and showed all his qualities in a superb performance: he controlled the ball, exploded vertically towards goal and, after a double strike, finished in style to extend the lead to 3-1. .

With a two-goal lead, the scoreboard more accurately reflected the reality of what was happening on the field; although Modric should have confirmed White’s superiority with a left-footed strike to the long post after another round of heavy pressure.

The final score of 4-1 came with 20 minutes remaining, but Real Madrid, and especially Bellingham, Rodrigo and Brahim, wanted more. The English, Brazilians and Spaniards triangulated – always under the cover of Modric and Kroos – with quality and lifted the Bernabeu with their actions.

Bellingham lit up the stands and opponents with his play. The Briton received a yellow card for shaking off Altimira, who was determined to prevent him from counter-attacking, and it caused a storm of emotion. The Birmingham man’s fall was ignored by the referee as he raised his hands in disbelief to cheer the crowd on. The referee reprimanded Bellingham for this attitude, as if he had considered it disrespectful to his figure, it could have meant a second yellow card and therefore a sending off.

The distance on the scoreboard and in the game, added to Bellingham’s will, warmed up the Villarreal players, who, to the sound ole those chanting at the Bernabeu left some signal for the British. Ancelotti, a very experienced player, protected his pieces with changes and made peace in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Merengue’s victory represents an important growth in La Liga’s leadership. With 42 points, Real Madrid lead by one point and one game over Girona, while Barcelona are 7 points behind and Atlético are also one game behind at 8 points.