Spanish champions Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Sunday, though Kylian Mbappé’s first home game at Santiago Bernabéu saw him leave the pitch without a goal.
In another match, Atlético Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win over Girona, last season’s surprise team, maintaining their strong start to the campaign.
Mbappé, making his home debut for Los Blancos, struggled to break through Valladolid’s defense. Fede Valverde finally put Madrid ahead 50 minutes in, and late goals from substitutes Brahim Diaz and debutant Endrick sealed the win.
Madrid, missing the injured Jude Bellingham, had a quiet first half but picked up the pace after the break, securing their first win of the season after drawing against Real Mallorca in their opener.
Despite the win, Madrid’s attack still seemed to lack rhythm, leaving them two points behind rivals Barcelona, who defeated Athletic Bilbao the day before.
“We were too slow in the first half,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “In the second half, we were much more active, with quicker movement and better ball circulation.”
Valladolid managed to keep Madrid at bay in the first half, but the home side came out with more urgency in the second. Valverde’s powerful, deflected free-kick broke the deadlock.
Mbappé had a golden chance to score when Vinicius Junior set him up, but Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein denied him. Mbappé missed another opportunity on the counter-attack before being substituted for 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick.
Mbappé, who scored on his UEFA Super Cup debut, has yet to find the net in La Liga after two matches.
“He’s an exceptional forward, very quick, with great movement off the ball,” said Ancelotti. “He had several chances today and in this position, he will eventually score as he always does.”
Diaz added Madrid’s second with a clever lob before setting up Endrick, who drilled home his first goal for the club with a sharp finish at the near post.
“Endrick has a lot of potential, and his goal showed his quality,” Ancelotti added. “He’s a striker who thrives in tight spaces and is very dangerous in the box.”
Madrid signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022, but he only joined the squad this summer after reaching the required age.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid celebrated their first win of the season with goals from Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke, defeating Girona at the Metropolitano stadium.
Julian Alvarez started for Atlético, and new signing Conor Gallagher made his debut as a substitute after his move from Chelsea.
“The fans were excited for this game, playing at home after a while, with new faces in the squad—everything went perfectly,” said Griezmann.
Atlético controlled the match, with Michel Sanchez’s Girona, who finished third last season ahead of Atlético, struggling to make an impact.
Griezmann opened the scoring just before halftime with a low free-kick that caught goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga off guard. Llorente doubled the lead early in the second half with a thunderous strike from outside the box.
Girona, who lost several key players over the summer, have only managed one point from their first two games. Koke capped off Atlético’s victory with a stoppage-time goal, finishing off a counter-attack set up by Llorente.
“It’s a long season, and we’re working to reach our best form as quickly as possible,” said Girona midfielder Oriol Romeu.
