Girona’s 2-1 victory over Valencia put them in the lead, but on a tranquil evening in the capital, Madrid reclaimed the lead on goal differential.

Brahim Diaz opened the score at the Santiago Bernabeu in the middle of the first half, and Rodrygo increased the advantage after 57 minutes.

Over the course of the last five games in all competitions, the Brazilian forward has scored seven goals. Despite a few players being out, he entered the game at the appropriate moment to assist Madrid maintain their strong start to the campaign.

Many of Madrid’s key players, including winger Vinicius Junior and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, are injured.

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Still, Los Blancos had more than enough to defeat the Andalucians, who were fighting for their league survival as the 19th-ranked team.

“(Rodrygo) is back to his best level and scoring a lot of goals,” Ancelotti said to the media.

The coach was pleased with Diaz because he made a brilliant pass to defender Toni Kroos, who scored his first goal.

“He’s a midfielder who wants the ball; he doesn’t give balls away. He always chooses the best option,” Ancelotti remarked.

He is fearless and adept at positioning himself; this is his greatest quality, along with control. He is indispensable when he is not playing.

Granada used five defenders in an attempt to contain Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. To a certain extent, it succeeded, but Madrid was always going to prevail.

Madrid did not create many opportunities, but they swiftly gained control of the game.

26 minutes in, Diaz was pushed through on goal by a brilliant pass from Kroos. He maintained his composure to nudge the ball in nicely and give Madrid the lead.

It was the former playmaker for Manchester City’s second goal in as many games. Diaz shown his ability to assist Rodrygo in covering for the injured Vinicius Junior.

“We dominated the game and they created very few chances against us. We played the football that we know,” Diaz said to Real Madrid TV. “It was a nearly perfect game.”

“The players, who are amazing, and the entire team worked really hard to keep us focused.”

Performance under control

The highest goal total in La Liga was 11 by Jude Bellingham. Just before halftime, he had another opportunity to score, but his attempt missed the goal and sailed wide.

Earlier in the game, the England player received a yellow card for showing disrespect. Before the break, he made a loud plea for a penalty after Ignasi Miquel tackled him and had the ball first, but his demands went unanswered.

Bellingham was set up by Joselu and Diaz in a fantastic team move that resulted in Madrid’s second goal.

Goalkeeper Andre Ferreira of Granada made a stop to keep the midfielder out of the goal, but before the hour, Rodrygo raced on to the rebound and hammered in. It is now five games in a row that he has scored.

Bellingham gave Fede Valverde a beautiful pass that would have made it three, but Ferreira stopped his attempt.

Granada’s Ricard Sanchez, a defender, said to DAZN, “I think the team gave everything; we did not hold back.” We are not responsible for anything.

It was a devastating setback for the visitors when winger Bryan Zaragoza was injured late in the contest.

On Sunday, third-placed Atletico Madrid will go to fourth-placed Barcelona to try to close the seven-point gap between them and the top two teams.