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Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in action during a La Liga football match on August 25, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
Spanish champions Real Madrid secured a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday (August 25, 2024) as Kylian Mbappe scored without scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Atletico Madrid later easily beat last season’s surprise team Girona in the capital by the same score.
Madrid’s French striker Mbappe played at home for the first time in a Los Blancos jersey but was frustrated by Valladolid’s defence.
Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde scored just after the 50th minute and substitute Brahim Diaz and debutant Andric also scored near the end.
Madrid, without the injured Jude Bellingham, didn’t do much in the first half but did enough after the break to secure their first win of the season after having to play for a draw with Real Mallorca in the first half.
Still lacking attacking edge, Carlo Ancelotti’s side remained two points behind rivals Barcelona, who beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
“In the first half we were quite slow, in the second half we were very active, our tempo was higher, our movement with the ball was faster,” Ancelotti said.
Real Valladolid sought to frustrate the champions in the heat of the summer and for 45 minutes, they succeeded.
Madrid showed more aggression in the second half and Valverde broke the deadlock with a superb free-kick deflection.
Arrival of Andrik
Mbappe missed a golden opportunity to score when Vinicius headed the ball towards him, but Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein saved it well.
The France captain had another chance on the counter-attack but missed his shot and was replaced by 18-year-old Brazilian forward Andric.
Mbappe scored on his debut in the UEFA Super Cup win, but in La Liga, he failed to score in his opening two games.
“He’s a fantastic forward, very fast, moves well without the ball, attacks out from the back, he created three or four chances with his movement,” Ancelotti said.
“In this position he will score goals just like he always does, I don’t think he needs to play on the left, in the end he will score goals in the centre.”
Diaz sealed Madrid’s win with a superb lobbed finish and then passed the ball to Andric, who scored at the near post to celebrate his first match for the club.
“(Andric) has a lot of potential and with his goal he showed his quality,” Ancelotti said.
“He’s a centre-forward who plays in the box, he’s very dangerous in small spaces.”
Madrid signed Andric from Palmeiras in 2022, but he arrived here this summer when he became old enough to move.
on Atlético song
Goals from Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Koke gave Diego Simeone’s Atletico their first win of the campaign against Girona.
Julian Alvarez started for the Rojiblancos at the Metropolitano Stadium, while new arrival Conor Gallagher made his debut as a substitute after joining from Chelsea.
“The fans were very excited for this match, playing at home for the first time in a long time, with new players – a great night,” Griezmann said.
The hosts controlled the game as Michel Sanchez’s Girona, who finished third ahead of fourth-placed Atletico last season, struggled to make an impact.
Griezmann gave Atletico the lead shortly before halftime with a powerful, low free-kick which caught out goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Llorente took the lead early in the second half as he fired a powerful shot from outside the area into the net.
Girona, who lost several key players this summer, have managed just one point from their first two games.
Koke sealed Atletico’s win on a counter-attack in stoppage time after Llorente put the ball on a plate in front of him.
“It’s a process, the season is long but we want to be at our best as soon as possible,” Girona midfielder Oriol Romeu said.
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