La Liga: Madrid beat Valladolid but Mbappe fires Bernabeu blanks

Spanish champions Real Madrid earned a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday as Kylian Mbappe made his Santiago Bernabeu bow without finding the net.

The French striker played at home for the first time in a Madrid shirt but was largely frustrated by Valladolid’s defence.

Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde opened the scoring with a low deflected free-kick after 50 minutes and substitutes Brahim Diaz and debutant Endrick struck late on.

Madrid created little in the first half but did enough after the break to earn their first win of the season, following an opening draw at Real Mallorca.

Still lacking fluency in attack, Carlo Ancelotti’s side stayed two points behind rivals Barcelona, who beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

“It was very hard, above all at the start, we did not click in the way the coach wanted us to, we lacked attitude when attacking, we were too passive and improved a lot in the second half.

“I am very happy to help the team with goals but the important thing is the defensive work, of which I feel proud and these days I have to get involved in a lot,” said Valverde.

Ancelotti brought in Arda Guler for the injured Jude Bellingham, expected to miss a month with a calf problem.

Real Valladolid were the only team in the division to keep a clean sheet in their opening fixture and from the start they set out to frustrate the champions.

Darwin Machis had a deflected effort whistle narrowly wide but otherwise it was all hands to the pump in defence for the visitors.

Aurelien Tchouameni fired over from long range as Madrid dominated possession without threatening in the Spanish capital’s summer heat.

Madrid came out with more bite in the second half and soon took the lead.

Valverde smashed home a vicious low free-kick with the help of a deflection to break the deadlock.

Madrid should have doubled their lead but Rodrygo misplaced his pass with Vinicius waiting in the middle ready to score.

– Mbappe chances –

Mbappe blew a golden opportunity to get off the mark when Vinicius cut the ball across to him, but Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein saved well.

The France captain had another chance on the counter-attack but fired well wide before being replaced by 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick.

Mbappe made his dream switch to Madrid this summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract after years of links. He scored on his debut in a UEFA Super Cup triumph.

In La Liga, Mbappe has failed to score in his opening two matches as Ancelotti works on perfecting his set-up to get the best from the club’s attacking stars.

Diaz secured Madrid’s win with a neat lobbed finish after running onto a long ball from defender Eder Militao in the 88th minute.

In stoppage time the Spanish playmaker teed up Endrick who drilled home at the near post to celebrate his first appearance for the club in style.

Later Sunday, Atletico Madrid host last season’s surprise package Girona among other fixtures.

AFP