The team led by Carlo Ancelotti produced a classic performance to take the lead in La Liga, albeit Girona could still catch up to them.

With Vinicius Jr. absent, Sunday’s match proved to be difficult for Real Madrid, but another Brazilian calmed any fears. Jude Bellingham concluded the game with a goal that Rodrygo set up after scoring an impressive brace of his own. Los Blancos looked disorganized at times due to midfield injuries, so this was hardly a classic Madrid effort. Nevertheless, the skill of their great players was sufficient to secure a 3-0 victory.

By evading one defender, sidestepping another, and hitting a shot into the upper corner, Rodrygo scored the first goal. But in the first half, an equalizer was prevented by an incredible save by Andriy Lunin, keeping Cadiz in the match.

Rodrygo was the focal point of the second, more conventional. His second goal came at a crucial moment, relieving a prolonged spell of Cadiz pressure with a deft run and composed finish to give his team a comfortable advantage. The English midfielder Bellingham scored the game’s winning goal with an angled pass from the Brazilian, who also provided an assist on the third goal.

This wasn’t always easy — nor did it look good for long passages. But with Barcelona dropping points, and surprise package Girona constantly picking them up, it was a vital win.

GOAL rates Real Madrid’s players from Nuevo Mirandilla…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Andriy Lunin (7/10):

Made a fine diving stop in the first half. Wasn’t tested much otherwise. Nice to get a clean sheet.

Dani Carvajal (6/10):

Offered plenty of legs down the right wing, as well as some solid defensive work when required.

Antonio Rudiger (7/10):

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Commanding in the air, timed his tackles well, and continuously just dumped the ball off to Luka Modric. Classy.

Nacho (6/10):

Didn’t always close spaces down effectively, and Madrid gave up the odd chance as a result.

Ferland Mendy (6/10):

Much better than Ancelotti’s other options on the defensive side of things. Not as valuable going forward, but that mattered little here.

Midfield

Toni Kroos (6/10):

His lack of mobility as a pivot is concerning, but he still circulated the ball effectively.

Federico Valverde (7/10):

His driving runs from midfield really opened the game up, and helped cover for the aging legs of his two central midfield partners.

Luka Modric (7/10):

A composed performance in the middle of the park. Unlucky not to score after lashing one off the post. Removed with an apparent quad issue. Still wonderful to watch, even at 38.

Jude Bellingham (8/10):

A welcome return, even if he was a bit rusty at times. His movement helped create space for both of Rodrygo’s goals. Netted his 14th of the season, which felt inevitable.

Attack

Rodrygo (9/10):

Bagged a wonderful opener. His second wasn’t bad, either. Timed his assist for Bellingham perfectly, too. He has now scored in three straight games for the first time in his Madrid career. Vinicius who?

Joselu (6/10):

Wasn’t particularly involved in the first half, let a chance go begging in the second. It wasn’t about him, though.

Subs & Manager

Dani Ceballos (6/10):

Given 25 minutes to impress in his return to the side. Kept things tidy.

Lucas Vazquez (N/A):

Offered relief for Rodrygo.

Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

Wasn’t on the ball much in his La Liga debut.

Fran Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Nico Paz (N/A):

Another cameo from the Argentine. Looked bright, in moments.

Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

Had to make do without Vinicius, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga for the first time. Madrid weren’t at their best, but still handled things well throughout. Hard to complain about a 3-0 win.