Real Madrid has ascended to the temporary summit of Spain's La Liga after a resounding 4-1 victory over visitors Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, during the 17th matchday of the league.
Englishman Jude Bellingham (25), Brazilian Rodrigo (38), Ibrahim Diaz (64), and Croatian Luka Modric (79) scored for "Los Blancos," while Jose Luis Morales (55) netted the lone goal for Villarreal.
Real Madrid returned to winning ways domestically following a 1-1 draw against hosts Real Betis in the previous round, clinching their 13th win of the season and elevating their points tally to 42. This places them one point ahead of Girona, who will host Alaves on Monday in the closing match of the round.
Taking advantage of traditional rivals Barcelona's stumble against Valencia the day before yesterday, Saturday, Real Madrid has now established a 7-point lead over them.
Real has also reinforced their unbeaten streak at home to 19 consecutive matches, with the last loss at Santiago Bernabeu dating back to April of the previous year.
Twenty-year-old Bellingham raised his scoring tally to 13 goals in 15 matches, topping the La Liga scorers chart and becoming the second-fastest player to reach this number of goals in the Spanish league during the 21st century, on par with Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo. Polish Barcelona sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski holds the record for the fastest, according to statistics.
After checking the video review, the referee awarded a valid goal to Rodrigo.
Morales narrows the gap for Villarreal.
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) December 17, 2023
