Real Madrid go seven points clear after 4-0 win over Valencia

Real Madrid moved seven points clear atop La Liga after a 4-0 win over Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, Kylian Mbappé scoring a first-half brace before Jude Bellingham and Álvaro Carreras added goals to complete a dominant victory. The result extended Madrid’s strong start to the season and reinforced their position at the summit as they prepare for a Champions League trip to Liverpool.

The breakthrough came in the 19th minute when referee awarded a penalty following a handball by Valencia defender César Tárrega after a VAR review. Mbappé stepped up and converted from the spot to make it 1-0. He doubled his side’s lead in the 31st minute, meeting Arda Güler’s cross with a close-range volley that finished a well-worked move. Shortly before half-time Valencia goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saved a penalty from Vinícius Júnior, but that respite lasted only minutes as Bellingham cut inside and curled a low shot into the bottom corner in the 44th minute. Carreras capped the scoring with a powerful angled strike in the 82nd minute.

Mbappé’s two goals increased his league tally to 13 in 11 matches this season and he arrived at the Bernabeu fresh from receiving the European...