Mbappe, Bellingham score as Real Madrid thrashes Girona 3-0, closes in on Barcelona

Mbappe, Bellingham score as Real Madrid thrashes Girona 3-0, closes in on Barcelona

Real Madrid narrowed the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to two points with a commanding 3-0 win at Girona on Saturday thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe

Second-placed Real has 36 points with a game in hand on Barca, which drew 2-2 at Real Betis. Girona suffered a sixth loss in 16 league matches and remains eighth on 22 points, two points off the European spots.

Bellingham opened the scoring in the 36th minute by capitalising on a loose ball and firing home from the centre of the box before setting up Guler with a fine through ball to double the lead 10 minutes after the break.

The England midfielder, who scored for a fifth consecutive La Liga match, was having an outstanding game but was forced off after taking a knock shortly before Mbappe made it 3-0 with a shot from a tight angle in the 62nd to wrap up the win.

Real boss Ancelotti told reporters Bellingham was alright but they also lost full-back Ferland Mendy to a muscular problem ahead of their Champions League clash at Atalanta on Tuesday.

“(Bellingham) is fine, he is available. We’ve had the muscle injury to Mendy but the rest of it is just knocks, nothing more,” the Italian manager said.

Girona has struggled without key players through injury and now faces difficult matches at home to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday and away to Mallorca next Saturday in La Liga.

“The team has suffered a lot of injuries. It’s costing us more. We still have months to keep growing,” Girona defender Miguel Gutierrez told Movistar.

Girona is 30th in the Champions League table, three points behind Real which is 24th and occupies the final qualifying spot for the playoffs.