Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham shone brightly, helping Real Madrid beat Leganés 3-0 in La Liga, shortening the gap with Barcelona and sending a strong challenge to Liverpool ahead of the big match in the Champions League. With these two stars in full bloom, “The White Vultures” are ready for a classy performance at Anfield.

1. The lineup change brought unexpected results

Ancelotti brought a surprise to the starting lineup, bringing on Arda Güler and Dani Ceballos from the start. However, the biggest attention was paid to Kylian Mbappé, who was deployed on the left wing – his preferred position, while Vinicius Jr. was tested as a striker. The two players often switched positions, creating flexibility and causing problems for the Leganés defense.

On the opposite side, Leganés coach Borja Jiménez also came up with a bold tactic with three central defenders and two wingers. The goal was to exploit Real Madrid’s weakness on the flanks, where Fran García and Federico Valverde took the full-back positions.

2. Pressure from Real Madrid and Mbappé’s opening goal

From the very first minutes, Real Madrid dominated the match with the mobility of Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. The duo, supported by Arda Güler and Eduardo Camavinga, constantly created trouble in front of the opponent’s goal. Although Mbappé managed to put the ball in the net, the goal was disallowed for offside.

Leganés were not completely outdone. The home side almost opened the scoring when Munir hit the crossbar, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Meanwhile, Real Madrid continued to press and created a series of chances, notably two dangerous shots from Arda Güler that were brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Dimitrovic.

The turning point of the match came in the 43rd minute. Altimira’s mistake on Leganés’ side when handling the ball at home was fully exploited by Real Madrid players. Vinicius stole the ball and passed it to Mbappé, helping the French star easily tap the ball to open the score 1-0.

Mbappe thrives when he plays in his best position.

3. Valverde and Bellingham close the match

The second half started with a heart-stopping moment when Courtois almost made a mistake while handling the ball in the box. However, it was only a rare moment of carelessness, as Real Madrid quickly regained control of the match. They maintained a slow tempo, imposing their style of play and not allowing Leganés any chance to break through.

However, Los Blancos still needed a second goal to secure the victory. In the 66th minute, Federico Valverde – who was deployed at right-back – scored the crucial goal from a direct free-kick, with the Leganés wall uncertain.

From there, the match was all but over. Leganés continued to search for a consolation goal, but their chances were not sharp enough. On the contrary, Real Madrid continued to increase the gap with Bellingham’s goal in the 85th minute, finishing easily after the ball bounced off the crossbar.

Bellingham scored the winning goal to make it 3-0.

4. A declaration of war to Liverpool

The victory over Leganés was not only significant in terms of points but also demonstrated the sublimation in Real Madrid’s playing style. Mbappé and Bellingham, the two brightest stars, both left a strong mark. They not only scored but also created a constant threat to the opponent’s defense.

The combination of Mbappé’s pace, Bellingham’s creativity and the fluidity of the lines makes Real Madrid a powerful squad that will pose a big challenge to Liverpool, who await them in the Champions League.

5. Conclusion

Real Madrid sent a clear message to Liverpool after a convincing win over Leganés. With their stars in top form and Ancelotti’s tactical flexibility, Los Blancos are brimming with confidence heading into the crucial match at Anfield. Liverpool will certainly need to prepare well if they are to overcome the Spanish Royals.

By defeating Leganes, Los Blancos continued to persistently pursue Barcelona on the rankings and have shortened the gap to just 4 points in the championship race.