La Liga giants Real Madrid secured a straightforward 3-0 win in their weekend trip to Cadiz on Sunday night (November 26). The victory allowed Los Blancos to go a point clear of second-placed Girona and reach atop the La Liga standings, for now. However, Girona could return to the summit with a victory over Athletic Bilbao in their La Liga Matchday 14 clash on Monday night.
Rodrygo Leads The Way For Real Madrid In Vinicius Jr.’s Absence
Real Madrid poster boy Vinicius Jr. suffered “a tear in the biceps femoris in his left leg” (via Real Madrid) while on international duty with Brazil. As a result, the No. 7 will not feature for the All-Whites for eight to 10 weeks. With Vinicius Jr. out, his countryman and strike partner Rodrygo paired up with Joselu to take the fight to Cadiz on Sunday. The 22-year-old primarily operated down the left flank at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, and it is safe to say he did a commendable job.
In the 14th minute, Jude Bellingham led a Real Madrid counter-attack before offloading it to Rodrygo on the left. The winger was initially charged by a couple of Cadiz defenders, but he effortlessly evaded them with his fancy feet before opening up a bit of space using his afterburners. In a great position toward the edge of the box, the former Santos fan dispatched a venomous side-footer, which ended up in the back of the net.
Almost halfway through the second half, Rodrygo doubled his and Real Madrid’s tally, scoring another extraordinary individual goal. Receiving the ball from Luka Modric, Rodrygo went on to best three Cadiz defenders with a simple feint before beating Jeremias Ledesma for the second time on the night.
Having claimed a well-taken brace, Rodrygo turned provider in the 74th minute. Cutting in from the left flank, the No. 11 played a square pass for Bellingham inside the penalty box. The Englishman unhesitantly put his boot through to fire the ball beyond the Argentine goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Real Madrid Look A More Confident Side This Season
Although they are playing without the sensational Karim Benzema this season, Real Madrid do not look out of ideas up top. Bellingham, who leads the La Liga charts with 11 goals in 12 games, has been the leading light in that department, but Rodrygo, Joselu, and Vinicius Jr. have also chipped in with important goals. They are full of energy, are not afraid to try different things, and switch tempo effortlessly when the situation demands it.
Ancelotti’s side finished a whopping 10 points behind La Liga winners Barcelona last season. This time, they are already four points clear of their chief rivals and are not showing any signs of stopping just yet. If Los Merengues keep this up, it would not be surprising if they end up lifting their 36th La Liga title at the end of the season.
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