Madrid, 2, (Net) : Jude Bellingham celebrated a landmark night for Real Madrid after scoring his 50th goal for the Spanish giants in their comfortable 3-0 victory over Racing Santander in LaLiga on Sunday, but it was Yan Diomande’s stunning strike that left the England midfielder particularly impressed.
Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham and Diomande were all on target as Real Madrid secured their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions, building on last week’s Clasico triumph to maintain their push at the top of the table.
Mbappe opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 11th minute before combining brilliantly with Arda Guler, who released Bellingham through on goal 10 minutes later. The Englishman showed composure to glide past Racing goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala and calmly slot the ball into an empty net.
The goal was a special one for Bellingham, taking his tally to 50 since joining Real Madrid.
“Reaching 50 goals with Real Madrid is very special,” Bellingham said after the match.
“Not only for me and my dreams but also for the team. It’s very important for all players to score goals and make a difference in games. Sometimes it will be Mbappe, Vini Jr., Arda Guler, or me, but the important thing is that everyone helps the team. That’s the most important thing.”
However, Bellingham reserved special praise for Diomande, whose spectacular effort nine minutes before the interval capped a dominant first-half display.
The Ivorian midfielder unleashed a thunderous shot from a bouncing ball, sending it into the top corner to make it 3-0. His impressive recent form has seen him score four goals and provide three assists in his last six appearances.
Thibaut Courtois continues to strengthen his legacy at Real Madrid. The Belgian goalkeeper, who captained the side in their 3-0 victory over Racing Santander, made his 346th appearance for the club, drawing level with Madrid legend Miguel Angel. The milestone puts Courtois third on Real Madrid’s all-time list of goalkeepers with the most appearances, further cementing his place among the club’s greats.
Bellingham was clearly taken aback by the quality of the finish.
“Incredible. I didn’t know he could shoot like that, but he’s very good. The goal against Leipzig was also amazing. He’s a special player, and we are very happy to have him in our squad,” he said.
Reflecting on the overall performance, Bellingham stressed the importance of maintaining momentum following their victory over Barcelona.
“We played very well. It was very important to win after the victory at Camp Nou, so we are very happy,” he said.
The midfielder also highlighted the significance of keeping a clean sheet, pointing to the collective defensive effort while acknowledging the importance of the achievement for the team’s defenders and goalkeepers.
“Yes, it’s a team effort, but I think it’s a bit more special and important for the defenders, Courtois or Lunin. It’s very important for them because it means they are playing very strong and competitively. It’s something the coach always tells us,” Bellingham added.
The victory moved third-placed Real Madrid to within three points of league leaders Barcelona and one point of second-placed Atletico Madrid, while Racing remained 16th, just a point clear of the relegation zone.
Despite their impressive run of six successive victories, Bellingham insisted that the focus inside the Madrid camp was firmly on the challenges ahead rather than their recent success.
“It’s great, but the most important thing is the next game. The win against Barcelona was very good, and today’s was too, but now our mindset is focused on the next match against Athens and then against Valencia. No one is thinking beyond that,” he said.
