Jude Bellingham scored his first competitive goal for Real Madrid after just 36 minutes, as the England midfielder assisted his new team to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in their season-opening La Liga match. As Carlo Ancelotti watched his team put on a polished performance at San Mames, Rodrygo had already given Los Blancos the lead.

In their opening match of the year, Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at San Mames thanks to goals from Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.

Early discussions were oddly subdued as both teams tried to pick up the pace above a preseason stroll.

Athletic held the advantage for the first 15 minutes or so, but Federico Valverde’s dipping attempt just cleared the crossbar for Real.

Jude Bellingham, who was making his first competitive start for Real, played in Rodrygo after 20 minutes had passed, and Unai Simon made a commendable save. The visitors, on the other hand, lacked fluidity and exchanged errant passes with their opponents.

Then, with a sudden move, Real advanced just before the half-hour mark. After a deft one-two with Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo cut in from the right wing and beat Simon at his near post after bursting into the area.

Soon after, Bellingham extended the advantage of the visitors by capitalizing on a corner kick from David Alaba with a bouncing shot that went over Simon and into the goal. He threw out his arms in celebration, to the thundering boos and whistles of the home crowd.

Athletic made an effort to gain momentum in the second half, but they were unsuccessful. Their greatest opportunity came from Alex Berenguer, who capitalized on Toni Kroos’ error to get in behind but was stopped by Aurelien Tchouameni’s quick reaction.

Carlo Ancelotti’s main complaint was that Eder Militao appeared to have suffered a serious injury after slipping during a challenge and needed assistance leaving the field.SPEECH POINT

Bellingham makes a memorable La Liga debut. Bellingham was incredibly at ease as he made his competitive debut for Los Blancos considering that every move he made was scrutinized from the first minute on.

He managed to balance coordinating the attack from a vantage point above the field while Real were out of possession with his cool, collected approach to the ball. He had a strong overall performance and scored a spectacular goal in his debut in La Liga.

MATCH PLAYER Rodrygo (Real Madrid). Bellingham stood out in the middle, but Rodrygo was the engine that drove the visitors’ offense forward.

On the opposing flank, Vinicius Jr. was active but unfocused, so it was up to his fellow Brazilian to offer the decisive blow. His first goal drastically shifted the match’s momentum in Real’s favor, and his erratic runs into the midfield frequently left Athletic’s defense perplexed.

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PLAYER GRADES

Athletic Bilbao’s lineup reads as follows: Simon 7, De Marcos 6, Vivian 7, Paredes 6, Lekue 5, Galarreta 6, Vesga 6, Muniain 4, Gomez 5, N Williams 6, I Williams 4, substitutes: Berenguer 6, Sancet 6, Guruzeta 5, Herrera 5, Imanol 5.

Real Madrid’s starting lineup of Lunin, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Garcia, Tchouameni, Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Jr.

Alternates: Joselu 5, Rudiger 6, Kroos 4, and Modric 6.

PARTIES OF THE MATCH

GOOD EFFORT! 12′ Bellingham’s clever play helps Real win their first corner. Unai Gomez gives Carvajal a gentle knockdown, but the referee is not deceived. Alaba advances and launches an inswinging cross, but another corner is lost as a result of its clearance. Valverde finds himself in space on the edge of the box after Real play it short, and he fires a shot that sails past the crossbar.

28′ GOAL! And with that, we have our start. Real’s opening goal came from Rodrygo, who sprinted into the area after a deft one-two with Carvajal and cut inside from the right flank.

36′ GOAL! Bellingham makes it 2-0 by firing a shot that deflects off the ground and over Simon in response to Alaba’s corner kick. The ball rolls into the net, leaving the Athletic goalkeeper helpless.

MILITAO 48′ OFF HURT. Militao slips in a challenge and collapses to the ground in agony, eliciting an anxious response from teammates in the area. After receiving treatment, he is unable to continue, and Antonio Rudiger is brought in to take his place.

BIG MISS at 75′! Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta steals the ball from Kroos on the edge of his own area, and Berenguer quickly closes the distance by sneaking up behind and firing. Tchouameni manages to touch it and deflects it slightly wide.

TOPIC STATS

After Rodrygo and Eduardo Camavinga, Bellingham is the third-youngest player to score on his Real Madrid debut in the twenty-first century, according to Opta.

In his last four La Liga appearances for Real, Rodrygo has scored four goals, one more than in his previous 27 league contests.