Mbappé Penalty and Diomandé Strike Sink Racing 3-0 for Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty in the 11th minute to open the scoring for Real Madrid in a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander on Sunday. The win keeps the Madrid club within three points of league leaders Barcelona in La Liga. A second goal from Jude Bellingham and a late strike from Yan Diomandé sealed the result before halftime.

Mbappé’s goal marked his 12th in the league this season. The penalty resulted from contact in the box. Bellingham, who arrived at the club in a summer transfer, added the second goal near the end of the first half. Diomandé, also a summer acquisition, put away the third goal just before the break.

Jose Mourinho, who returned to the Spanish capital this season for his second stint as manager, acknowledged the quality of the performance. He noted that the margin could have been wider, calling it a good win in an important week. Mourinho stated that he kept the upcoming Champions League match against AEK Athens in mind, choosing to rest players who are not expected to start on Wednesday.

The manager described the victory as a gift from the league. He said the team is growing and should score more given the number of chances created. Mourinho added that he is happy with the progress, noting that less than four months is a short time. He explained that he and the players have understood his coaching style better over that period.

Real Madrid now sits in third place, one point behind Atlético Madrid. Barcelona leads the table. The league observed a minute of silence before each match this weekend to honor the victims of a deadly train accident in Spain.

Mbappé has been in the news away from the pitch. On Tuesday, he apologized for comments in which he apparently referred to Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, as a dictator. The remarks drew criticism and led to the loss of brand deals with Chinese companies. This occurred one day after Mbappé finished second to Harry Kane of Bayern Munich in the voting for the Men’s Ballon d’Or.

In other La Liga results, Athletic Bilbao completed a comeback to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in a Basque derby. Iñaki Williams and Alex Berenguer scored for Bilbao in the first half. Getafe also overturned a deficit to defeat Sevilla 3-1. Uruguayan forward Martín Satriano provided an assist for the equalizer and scored in the 74th minute. Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala scored in stoppage time.

Valencia won 1-0 at Elche thanks to a goal by Nigerian forward Umar Sadiq in the 69th minute. Despite the win, Valencia remains in a relegation spot. The team is managed by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni struck a young fan in the stands with a shot early in the second half. The child was not seriously injured but cried immediately. After the match, Tchouamé met the boy and his father to hand over an autographed jersey.