Militao and Mbappe power Real to victory over Espanyol

In-form striker Kylian Mbappe netted again as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of La Liga.

Xabi Alonso’s Madrid have won all five of their opening league fixtures and French superstar Mbappe has netted five goals in the top flight.

Eder Militao opened the scoring with a screamer from distance after 22 minutes and Mbappe buried the second from outside the box early in the second half.

Madrid are five points clear of second-place champions Barcelona, who host Getafe on Sunday.

England international Jude Bellingham made a late appearance as a substitute in the final stages, his first since undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer.

Mbappe, who netted twice from the penalty spot in midweek as Madrid started their Champions League campaign with a win over Marseille, helped Alonso’s team maintain their 100 percent record across all competitions.

His goal effectively killed the game after Militao head sent Madrid ahead.

Alonso brought Vinicius Junior back into the side and gave young striker Gonzalo Garcia a rare start in an attacking line-up.

Espanyol have not beaten Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu since 1996 but have started this season well, arriving in the capital third.

However their visit to face Los Blancos was a reality check and Madrid were comfortably on top throughout.

Despite their dominance it took a ferocious drive into the top left corner from long range by centre-back Militao to break the deadlock.

Mbappe fired narrowly wide after good work by Vinicius before half-time.

The Brazilian has been benched on a couple of occasions by Alonso and is still playing below his best, although he set up Mbappe for the second.

After driving forward with the ball Vinicius laid it off to Mbappe, who flashed a shot past Marko Dmitrovic at the near post from range.

Vinicius hit the post after Espanyol’s Serbian goalkeeper made a fine double save from Mbappe. Alonso brought on Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga for their first games of the season in the final stages of a comfortable afternoon for Real Madrid.

Earlier Levante romped to a 4-0 win at Girona, who finished with nine men.

The Catalan minnows, who finished third in the 2023/24 campaign to reach the Champions League, are bottom, without a win this season.

“After five weeks we are the worst team in the league and all we can do is work hard,” said coach Michel Sanchez.

“I have to improve this team and I will do it. It will be tricky to get out of this situation, but we’re not giving up the ghost.”

Sociedad lose again: Real Sociedad’s miserable start to La Liga continued at Real Betis after a 3-1 defeat that extended their winless run to five league games on Friday.

The last time Sociedad started without a win in five games was 2006 when they ended up being relegated. The alarm bells are ringing for coach Sergio Francisco, the former Sociedad player who was appointed to his first top-flight post in July.

Cucho Hernandez scored for the second game in a row to give Real Betis the lead after seven minutes. The Sociedad defense stood off the Colombian forward, giving him time to side-foot a lovely finish high into the net from 15 meters out.

The visitor equalized thanks to slack defending. A poor pass on the edge of the box led to Ander Barrenetxea running free and he fed Brais Mendez who curled a shot into the far corner.

Abdessamad Ezzalzouli put Betis ahead again three minutes into the second half after Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro flapped at a cross from the left.

The Sociedad defense was all at sea again in giving time and space for Pablo Fornals to convert a low cross from the right and make it 3-1.

Sociedad were fourth from bottom. Betis was fourth. The game was a useful warm up for Betis before they faces Nottingham Forest next week in the Europa League.

Agencies