Madrid glide to Leganes victory with Mbappe on target

Real Madrid defeated Leganes 3-0 on Sunday in La Liga with Kylian Mbappe scoring his first goal in five outings. Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham scored as Madrid moved second, four points behind Barcelona with a game in hand.

After Barcelona drew Celta Vigo on Saturday, Los Blancos beat 14th-placed Leganes easily. After two losses in their first four European matches, Madrid have a key Champions League match against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday. They warmed up well.

“The team maintained the good feelings from the 4-0 win over Osasuna and confirmed them today,” stated Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian lined up with teenage centre-back Raul Asencio, uncommon starter Dani Ceballos, and Turkish playmaker Arda Guler. Ancelotti brought back Thibaut Courtois for the match in Butarque, Madrid, despite missing long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao.

Ancelotti had Vinicius Junior play left wing, but Mbappe started there. Despite an offside call, the forward scored his second goal in eight games.

“We changed the position of the forwards, with Mbappe outside and he did well, like Vinicius inside,” he remarked.

The last international break saw Mbappe leave France’s squad for the second time in as many months due to off-field issues, which may have affected his start at Madrid after joining from Paris Saint-Germain. Madrid’s first serious chance came when Guler cut in from the right, but Marko Dmitrovic saved.

Vinicius teed up Mbappe at the back post, who capitalized on Leganes defensive confusion to score shortly before halftime. Valverde, captaining Madrid for the first time and playing right-back, scored his team’s second from a free kick in the 66th minute.

Dmitrovic stopped Mbappe’s shot as he tried to score again and secure Madrid’s triumph. England’s Bellingham scored his second goal of the season, knocking home a rebound from close range after Brahim Diaz’s attempt hit the crossbar.

“We were very comfortable in the first half, playing the game we wanted to, but (to concede) after a mistake… hurts more, it got away from us,” said Leganes defender Sergio Gonzalez.

“The team gave everything, and with the smallest opportunities, they punished us.”

On his debut start, 21-year-old centre-back Asencio impressed Ancelotti.

“It surprised me in that he’s a player with maturity, always well positioned, very well positioned, and it means the youth academy has done a good job with him,” he remarked.