Real Madrid continued its strong run with a commanding victory over Racing at El Sardinero, producing a decisive burst of attacking football in little more than half an hour. José Mourinho’s team maintained the momentum gained from its recent clásico win and stayed in the title race behind Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Bernardo Silva and Aurélien Tchouaméni formed the midfield pairing, while Arda Güler started on the right. Bernardo helped Madrid control the tempo and build from the back, and Güler repeatedly supplied speed and creativity in the final third.
Racing approached the match with ambition, sending several players forward and relying on Sergio Canales to connect with Zabiri. That attacking approach also left spaces for Madrid to exploit. Güler quickly threatened Agirrezabala and later delivered a ball that led to Jude Bellingham’s close-range header, which the goalkeeper saved.
Madrid opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Mbappé was brought down in the area by Prati. The French forward converted the kick to score in his fifth consecutive match. Racing immediately responded with a chance for Iker Luque, but Thibaut Courtois made an instinctive save with his right boot.
The visitors then doubled their advantage through Bellingham. Huijsen found Mbappé in midfield, and the forward released Güler, who sent Bellingham into open space. The Englishman lifted the ball over the advancing Agirrezabala before completing the move.
Diomande added a third with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area, placing the ball close to the corner. He has now recorded four goals and three assists since scoring against Villarreal three weeks ago, continuing a highly productive run for Madrid.
Racing remained willing to attack, but Madrid’s pressure and transition play kept the hosts under constant strain. The home side appeared to have won a penalty for a handball by Tchouaméni, but the referee overturned the decision after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor.
Mourinho reacted to a spell of Madrid overplaying and losing some precision, but his team soon regained control and managed the rest of the match. The win leaves Real Madrid third with 27 points from 11 matches, behind Barcelona on 30 and Atlético Madrid on 28. Racing remains 16th with 11 points.
Sources: El País Deportes.