Real Madrid came back to defeat Real Sociedad 2-1 at the Bernabeu Stadium to maintain their perfect record through five games.
Joselu, a former Newcastle and Stoke striker, rose at the far post to head in Fran Garcia’s cross on the hour.
Jude Bellingham’s incredible scoring streak came to an end after he scored five goals in his first four games for his new team.
The biggest opportunity for Bellingham came in stoppage time when he leapt to meet a cross from Brahim Diaz, but Alex Ramiro made a superb save.
However, the England player was essential in helping Real Madrid recover from the shock of losing in the fifth minute and get back into the game.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, a Chelsea goalkeeper on loan, was unable to stop Ander Barrenetxea’s second attempt after deflecting the first back to the guest striker.
Sociedad had gone 46 league games without losing after taking the lead, but after Federico Valverde equalized with a strong drive from the edge of the box a minute into the second half, Sociedad knew it would be difficult to maintain that record.
In an open match, the visitors did had opportunities to double their lead, but Barrenetxea missed the target after Kepa had pushed another rebound right to him, and the Spain international subsequently turned away another shot with a full-length stop.
But once Real Madrid took the lead, they never seemed like they would give it up.
The outcome keeps Real Madrid two points ahead of Barcelona at the top of the standings as they prepare to face Union Berlin on Wednesday in the first round of their bid for a 15th Champions League title.
On Wednesday, Real Sociedad, who had suffered their first loss of the year, will play host to Inter Milan, who finished second the previous year.
In another space, the primary topic of conversation surrounding Real Madrid on the night of the derby was whether Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior would be totally fit for the crucial away game against Atletico Madrid at Metropolitano Stadium. Now that all the questions have been answered, Los Blancos may rejoice in a lot of good news.
Real Madrid has revealed their lineup for the contest. Bellingham and Vinicius have both been incorporated into it.
Since suffering a hamstring injury during Real Madrid’s match against Celta Vigo, Vinicius Junior has been sidelined. However, he recently participated in team training and has since rejoined the group.
Bellingham, on the other hand, recently had to miss training due to a stomach condition. It was definitely a worrying situation because the Englishman has been Real Madrid’s star player since his arrival in the summer. Fortunately, it appears that the issue has been resolved as well.
According to ESPN, Carlo Ancelotti addressed Vinicius’ position in his pre-game statement and said the following:
“The injury is forgotten.
“He’ll be in the squad. Tomorrow we’ll see what role he plays in the game.”
Initially, Vinicius was supposed to skip the game. Ancelotti responded to a query regarding the dangers of bringing the 23-year-old superstar back for this match by saying:
“The risk is zero.
“If we think there’s a 1% risk tomorrow we won’t take it. The important thing is Vinicius has recovered. He lacks a bit of conditioning but that’s normal.”
Ancelotti also dispelled any lingering uncertainty on the Englishman’s predicament. The Italian said:
“It was a small thing.
“He felt ill but he’s recovered.”
Because players like Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius are now all back in the lineup, Real Madrid will undoubtedly feel some relief following their injury problems at the beginning of the season. Also soon will be Arda Guler’s return to action.
They should benefit from this as they prepare to face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium. Although this is by far the most difficult test they have faced this season thus far, maybe they can continue their winning streak.