Jude Bellingham on mark again as Real Madrid close on Barcelona with Girona win

Jude Bellingham was on target again as Real Madrid won 3-0 at Girona to climb to within two points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona with a game in hand.

Bellingham’s fifth goal in his last five league appearances gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a half-time lead and the England star provided the assist for Arda Guler to extend Real’s advantage before Kylian Mbappe added a third.

Real bounced back from Wednesday night’s league defeat at Athletic Bilbao by keeping the pressure on Barca, who were held 2-2 at Real Betis earlier on Saturday.

Both sides created early chances. Girona midfielder Bryan Gil, on loan from Tottenham, fired narrowly off target from outside the box and Mbappe was denied by Ladislav Krejci’s brilliant goal-saving tackle.

Real struggled to match the intensity of Girona, who threatened twice more through Yaser Asprilla’s effort from the edge of the area and Donny van de Beek’s angled drive.

But the visitors slowly gained control. Brahim Diaz’s thumping effort was well saved by Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who later comfortably held Mbappe’s low shot.

Bellingham then broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, firing home low between Gazzaniga’s legs after Girona had only half-cleared Diaz’s cross, as he got on the scoresheet for the fifth successive league game.

Real went close to doubling their lead early in the second half when Aurelien Tchouameni’s deft header from Luka Modric’s free-kick forced a superb reaction save from Gazzaniga.

The visitors continued to dominate possession and were rewarded with a deserved second goal in the 55th minute.

Bellingham was picked out by Modric in the centre circle and the 21-year-old’s slide-rule pass sent Guler racing into the box to fire a left-footed finish inside Gazzaniga’s left-hand post.

Bellingham was withdrawn just after the hour-mark and replaced by Dani Ceballos before Girona tried to respond through Asprilla, who forced Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into his first save with a rising shot from 20 yards.

But moments later the visitors struck again to put the game to bed. Modric sent Mbappe charging into the box and the France striker arrowed a clinical, low angled finish into the far corner for his ninth league goal of the season.

Asprilla was denied again by Courtois, but a consolation goal eluded Michel’s Champions League side, who next face Liverpool at the Montilivi Stadium on Tuesday.