Jude Bellingham has reached a landmark at Real Madrid. His goal in a 3-0 win at Racing Santander on Sunday was the 50th of his Bernabeu career, and it came in a performance that told Barcelona exactly how close Jose Mourinho's side are behind them in La Liga.
Three goals before the break
Real did the damage early. They were awarded a penalty after 11 minutes when Matteo Prati pulled down Kylian Mbappe, and the French forward stepped up to convert it himself. Ten minutes later, in the 21st minute, Bellingham doubled the lead with a goal that deserves a replay. He drove forward from the halfway line, chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper and passed it into an empty net.
The third arrived before half-time. Yan Diomande, the club's record signing, volleyed home after a corner was only half cleared. By then the game was over as a contest.
A night of near-misses and a VAR reprieve
Mbappe hit the post with a curling effort from the edge of the box in the 59th minute, and Bellingham put the ball in the net a second time late on, only for his calm finish into the bottom corner to be ruled out for offside. Racing did get a late penalty for handball against Aurelien Tchouameni, which the video assistant referee overturned, deciding the handball was accidental after the ball deflected up off his boot.
It was a slightly nervy end to an otherwise comfortable afternoon.
Bellingham's 50 and Mourinho's momentum
Bellingham was 19 when he joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 for 88.5 million pounds. He is 23 now, has made 154 appearances for Real and has added 37 assists to his 50 goals. For a midfielder who first made his name at Birmingham City, those are the numbers of a player who has settled in completely.
The result gives Real five straight wins in all competitions, and they follow last weekend's 2-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clasico. They are three points behind the league leaders. Mourinho's team have lost only twice this season, with the last defeat coming against Atletico Madrid on 20 September.
A rare start for Alexander-Arnold
One footnote came at right-back. Mourinho gave Trent Alexander-Arnold a rare start, and the 28-year-old almost made an early assist, only for Arda Guler to curl his cut-back wide. It was only the former Liverpool defender's fifth start in Real's 14 games this season, with Denzel Dumfries and Federico Valverde often preferred in that position.
Match facts: Racing Santander 0-3 Real Madrid, La Liga, Sunday 1 November 2026. Goals: Kylian Mbappe 11' (pen), Jude Bellingham 21', Yan Diomande (before half-time). Bellingham's 50th goal for Real Madrid in 154 appearances. Real are three points behind leaders Barcelona.
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