A controlled win at El Sardinero
Real Madrid made it six wins in a row across all competitions by beating Racing Santander 3-0 away. [1] says the game was effectively settled in the first half, with goals from Kylian Mbappé (penalty), Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomandé. The Bellingham goal was his 50th for the club.
The opener was contentious. The penalty was given by referee Munuera Montero for contact by Prati on Mbappé, and [2] reports heavy criticism from Racing. Coach José Alberto complained that VAR did not review it, but he also accepted that Madrid dominated the first half-hour and were much better than his side, according to [3].
The result matters because Racing had been unbeaten in their five home league matches, as [4] noted in its preview. Madrid now sit a point behind Atlético Madrid, according to [5]. Mbappé also hit the woodwork late on, so the scoreline could have been wider.
Absences, rotation and the right-back puzzle
Mourinho won without several first-choice players. Federico Valverde missed the game with a knock from the Clásico win, [6] reported, and Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy are also injured. Vinícius Júnior is suspended for league games, though [7] says he is eligible in the Champions League. Thibaut Courtois came back into the squad after missing the Clásico with flu.
Right back was the most debated selection. Previews pointed to Denzel Dumfries, and Mourinho had said Valverde, recently used there, would not start. In the end, [8] reports that Trent Alexander-Arnold started ahead of both. That is notable because [9] describes him as third choice, with only four starts in Madrid’s 13 games this season.
The absences also forced a small change off the pitch. With captains Valverde and Vinícius unavailable, Mourinho named Aurélien Tchouaméni as the only outfield player allowed to speak to the referee, [10] says. Mourinho is also expected to rotate heavily across three away matches in seven days, and he called the schedule very difficult.
Mbappé’s consistency and Diomandé’s rise
Kylian Mbappé remains the constant. He has 15 goals this season, 12 of them in La Liga, and has now scored against all 24 league opponents he has faced, according to [11]. Deportivo are named as the next opponent to test that record. He has played 1,161 of Madrid’s 1,170 minutes, and [12] says Mourinho regards him as untouchable.
On the left, Yan Diomandé is the story. His 36th-minute left-footed strike from outside the box was his fourth goal, to go with four assists, since he fully established himself after a slow start, according to [13]. Mourinho is using him ahead of Vinícius, whose league shot accuracy this season of 38.9% is the lowest of the four periods [14] analysed.
Behind them, Cucurella is playing at his best level since joining and has started every league match, per the same Marca report. Even with a depleted squad, the attack has carried the side through a congested run.
What it means
The league table shows a strong but not perfect start. Madrid are third with 27 points from 11 games (W9 D0 L2), with 28 goals scored and 10 conceded. That leaves them close to Atlético at the top, and the two defeats mean there is little slack.
The form is excellent. Their last five results are all wins: 4-3 at Roma, 4-1 against Sevilla, 4-1 against Leipzig, 2-1 at Barcelona and 3-0 at Racing. They have scored at least twice in every one, and the Racing game showed they can win when the key names are missing.
The next fixture is AEK Athens away in the Champions League on 4 November. The site’s forecast for it locks 24 hours before kick-off, so no pick is published yet. The match asks about squad depth: Vinícius is available in Europe, but Mendy is not in the Champions League squad, and Valverde’s knock is a question mark. It is also the second of a run of away games, so Mourinho’s rotation decisions, especially at right back, could decide how comfortable the trip is.
Sources
- Marca: Uno a uno del Real Madrid contra el Racing: valoración y comentarios marca.com ↩
- Marca: Indignación en el Racing por el penalti señalado a favor del Madrid marca.com ↩
- Marca: José Alberto: "Mou dijo que cuando un error le favoreciese lo iba a decir..." marca.com ↩
- The Guardian: La Liga today: How to watch, TV channels & live stream theguardian.com ↩
- The Guardian: European football: Mbappé penalty helps Real Madrid stroll to sixth straight win theguardian.com ↩
- Marca: El Madrid recupera a Courtois y Valverde para medirse al Racing marca.com ↩
- Marca: Racing - Real Madrid: Semana envenenada marca.com ↩
- Marca: ¡Ay el Balón de Oro si este hubiera sido el Bellingham de la temporada pasada! marca.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Third-choice? Inside Alexander-Arnold's struggles in Madrid bbc.co.uk ↩
- Marca: Tchouaméni, el capitán en la sombra de Mourinho marca.com ↩
- Marca: Mbappé amplía un récord sin precedentes marca.com ↩
- Marca: Mbappé no quiere treguas marca.com ↩
- Marca: Diomande, el chico de los golazos marca.com ↩
- Marca: Vinicius, dos años después del 'no Balón de Oro': los números de su caída marca.com ↩
