Three takeaways from Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga

Three takeaways from Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga Real Madrid’s first clean sheet of the new season finally arrived today when the men in white took on newly-promoted Malaga in La Liga and put four goals past them. Manager Jose Mourinho made wholesale changes to his starting lineup, and the new defensive combination surprisingly worked well in tandem to ensure they conceded no goals. At the other end of the field, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe continued their imperious goalscoring form and helped the team to a 3-0 lead by half-time. The fourth goal eventually arrived in stoppage time as Arda Guler buried a Vinicius Jr. assist. With the win on match day three, Real Madrid continue their perfect record in the new season and move to the top as provisional leaders of the league. Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga. First signs of rotations Mourinho’s starting lineup in itself served as a massive point of discussion on Sunday afternoon as the manager made wholesale changes to his XI. After sticking to the same combination for the team’s opening two games this season, he churned in rotations across the field, possibly keeping the hectic schedule in mind.  For starters, the manager brought in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella into the lineup for the first time this season, benching both Denzel Dumfries and Alvaro Carreras in the process. That defensive shift was coupled with a change in the central defence as well where Ibrahima Konate was dropped for Antonio Rudiger, handing the German international his first start of the season. In midfield, the manager opted to replace Bernardo Silva with Eduardo Camavinga, and the Frenchman joined Federico Valverde in the double pivot against Malaga. Perhaps the most surprising shift in the XI, however, was on the right-wing where Mourinho dropped Arda Guler and deployed Brahim Diaz instead of the much-hyped Yan Diomande. The lineup, in itself, gives massive clues as to which players the manager rated highly on Real Madrid’s bench, and possibly even indicates a shift in his preferred XI.  After all, the performances of the rotated players will be under scrutiny against the performances of the stars who replaced them, effectively making it an audition. The usual duo strike again Mbappe and Bellingham star again. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) When Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid, it was expected that he would become part of world football’s most dangerous attacking duo alongside Vinicius Jr. As the years have passed, however, the Brazilian star’s impact on the game has grown inconsistent and continually reduced, and there is now a strong case that Vinicius is not even the second most important player for Real Madrid. Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have been the team’s best players so far this season and had stunning numbers heading into Matchday 3. On Sunday, they further extended that red-hot streak. Bellingham, in particular, was on fire against Malaga as he ran the show in midfield, constantly got into attacking positions and even opened the scoring with a stunning finish from a tight angle. In fact, even Real Madrid’s second goal which went down as an own goal was one made possible only through the Englishman’s efforts. In 87 minutes, Bellingham racked up a goal, a key pass, completed 95% of his passes, and won six duels for Real Madrid, making it clear that he is still riding high on the high left by the World Cup. Mbappe, meanwhile, used the chance to score his fourth goal of the season and took a staggering six shots on the night, four of which were on target. He had two shots blocked, missed one big chance, and even won six duels against Malaga. At this point, it is clear that Mbappe and Bellingham are Real Madrid’s most important assets, and they keep getting better with every passing game.  New full-backs impress The full-back position at Real Madrid has historically been very significant, for the team’s style of play often revolves around the work-rate and attacking flair of the wide defenders. In a counter-attack dominant side, the pace, attacking potency and defensive solidity of the full-backs can make or break the game, and it is clear why Mourinho saw the department as a priority to reinforce in the summer. For the clash on Sunday, Mourinho replaced both his full-backs – Dumfries and Carreras – with big names in Trent and Cucurella. The duo played all 90 minutes, and they did not disappoint. Making his first official start for Real Madrid since his arrival, Cucurella was rock solid on the left flank and he produced seven defensive contributions and won five duels. His passing range and ability to distribute the ball stood out in particular as he completed 90% of his passes in the opposition box and made one key pass. To be defensively rock-solid and still rack up such numbers shows exactly why Mourinho rated the player highly. Trent, meanwhile, had a massive point to prove heading into the game and did so with conviction. Handed the manager’s trust against Malaga, he bossed the passing aspect while also staying defensively resilient. In 90 minutes, the former Liverpool star had a staggering 117 touches of the ball and completed 87 of his 96 attempted passes. He produced three key passes and created one big chance. His effort did not go in vain as he racked up the assist for Mbappe’s lone goal, and it is clear that his performance caught the eye of the management. Defensively, moreover, the Englishman stayed resolute with four defensive contributions, six recoveries and four interceptions. He has thus left his mark, and it remains to be seen if it is enough to push him ahead of Dumfries on the coach’s preference order.