Real Madrid Player Ratings vs.Malaga: Bellingham Dazzles in Cruise-Control Victory

Real Madrid kept up a perfect start to the season with a 4–0 win over newly promoted Málaga at the Bernabéu on Sunday.

The routine victory, making it three from three at the start of José Mourinho’s return, sends Madrid to the top of La Liga—at least for the night, with Barcelona not scheduled to play until Monday.

Madrid gave the home crowd no chance for boos in this outing as Trent Alexander-Arnold ripped one narrowly over the bar after just 30 seconds, setting the tone for a mismatched tie. It was fellow Englishman Jude Bellingham who opened the scoring on 19 minutes after slotting home from an angle after a slaloming run.

The No. 5 forced Real Madrid’s second around five minutes later, though his header will go down as an own goal by Málaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero. Kylian Mbappé then swept home on the volley from Alexander-Arnold’s fine cross to make it three and game, well and truly, over by the break.

Bellingham cannoned one off the post in the second half as Madrid peppered the Málaga goal, but the visitors’ fighting spirit kept the score as it was until the final moments when substitute Arda Güler tucked in a pull-back from Vinícius Júnior.

Madrid will take confidence from their start to the season, but sterner tests against Real Betis and then Inter in the Champions League are coming.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Jude Bellingham already has four goal contributions to his name this season. | Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Mourinho ignited the Ballon d’Or chat in the build-up to this game, suggesting—if not stating explicitly—that soccer’s top individual award should go to Mbappé this year after his Pichichi and World Cup Golden Boot heroics. Based on Sunday’s showing, it is actually Bellingham who looks like the best player in the world right now.

The Englishman was at his unstoppable, scruff-of-the-neck-grabbing best against Málaga, scoring an early goal of the season contender after dancing past four players.

His influence continued throughout the game and he was unlucky not to finish with a hat-trick—his ‘second’ went down as an own goal, while he crashed the post in the second half.

Bellingham has started the new club season on fire after a star turn in North America this summer. Had he enjoyed a better spring, he might well have been a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or. Keep it up, he will surely be among the favorites this time next year.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Málaga (4-3-2-1)

Kylian Mbappé, Eduardo Camavinga. — Mbappé was on it again at the Bernabéu. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—6.6: Easy day at the office for Courtois who had just one save to make in 90 minutes.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—8.5: Clearly determined to prove his worth having been left out of the opening two matches of the season, the English right back put on a showreel of his best stuff complete with a whipped assist, rasping shots and even a lunging slide tackle.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.3: The German was not busy on his return to the lineup. Sterner tests await as he battles with Ibrahima Konaté for a starting role.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.6: The 21-year-old, who grew up in Málaga and played for the club’s academy, is looking ever more assured as Real Madrid’s ball-playing center back.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.7: The World Cup winner was comfortable on his first home start for his new club, winning five out of seven duels and making four tackles, but created just one chance.

DM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.8: Some of the prematch discourse positioned this as Camavinga’s last chance to impress Mourinho. He took it, but, in reality, this match is unlikely to shift the dial on anyone’s opinion on the Frenchman.

DM: Federico Valverde—7.0: The captain was typically assured and busy in the engine room, helping to dictate play. Mourinho has options even without Rodri; the challenge is finding the right balance.

RW: Brahim Díaz—7.0: Rotated in for Güler, Brahim—another who spent time in Málaga’s academy—was industrious if not especially eye-catching out on the right.

AM: Jude Bellingham—8.6: The Englishman’s goal to open the scoring is one of the best you’ll see all season in La Liga, evoking memories of his dancing feet against Norway at the summer’s World Cup.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—8.4: Created a match-high four chances out from the left but couldn’t fashion anything for himself as the other forwards took center stage. He grabbed the assist late on for Güler.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.5: Mbappé’s beautifully taken volley put him on 90 goals in 106 appearances for Madrid. He might’ve added to his quest for a third successive Pichichi in the second half.

SUB: Yan Diomande (65’ for Brahim Díaz)—6.6: Still yet to make his first Real Madrid start, the Ivorian teenager’s biggest contribution was almost giving away a penalty after a late Málaga free kick deflected off his arm. The referee’s initial decision was, however, overturned with VAR.

SUB: Bernardo Silva (77’ for Federico Valverde)—5.9: Little he needed to do bar provide fresh legs for the closing stages.

SUB: Arda Güler Silva (87’ for Jude Bellingham)—7.5: Seven touches, one goal. The Türkiye star showed his poacher’s instincts with Madrid’s closer.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Javi Navarro (GK), Álvaro Carreras, Mario Rivas, Ibrahima Konaté, Jorge Cestero, Alexis Ciria, Carlos Espí.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham — Trent Alexander-Arnold was among those on song. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

The fullbacks, both making their first starts of the season, shone on Sunday with Trent Alexander-Arnold laying a marker down to new signing Denzel Dumfries with his creative display. No player had more touches all game.
Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella showed why he was such an important signing for the club this summer. The former Chelsea fullback is as strong going backwards as forwards and helped lock down Madrid’s left-hand side with fine defensive work, while linking up well with Vinícius Jr.
Kylian Mbappé continues to be perhaps the greatest goal threat in all of soccer. Only Harry Kane (62) has scored more goals in Europe's big five leagues than Kylian Mbappé (60) since the start of the 2024–25 season.
The connection of the forwards came under fire for much of last season, but while Mbappé and Jude Bellingham got the goals, Vinícius Jr took on a more supportive role creating space and chances in abundance.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Cruise Control Win

While the first half killed any ambition Málaga might’ve had of getting something from the match, the visitors performed admirably after the break and created decent chances rather than throwing in the towel, ending the match with 14 shots to Madrid’s 19.
Ultimately, the hosts were able to create better chances and had 8 shots on target to Málaga’s 1.
Madrid zipped the ball about nicely and enjoyed a high pass accuracy of 91% and comfortable 57% possession.

Statistic	Real Madrid	Málaga
Possession	57%	43%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.40	0.72
Total Shots	19	14
Shots on Target	8	1
Big Chances	4	0
Pass Accuracy	91%	88%
Fouls	6	9
Corners	9	6

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