MADRID: Kylian Mbappe paraded the 2024-25 ESM Golden Shoe after its Friday presentation before adding two more goals to this season’s tally in Real Madrid’s 4-0 despatch of Valencia in LaLiga in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras also scored to help the LaLiga leaders claim their 13th win from 14 matches in all competitions this season.

The victory extended Real’s commanding lead at the top of the standings to 30 points, putting them seven points clear of second-placed Villarreal and eight ahead of third-placed Barcelona, who sit level with Atletico Madrid on 22 points but have a game in hand.

Mbappe gave the home side a two-goal lead with goals in the 19th and 31st minutes, first converting a penalty that was awarded for a handball by Cesar Tarrega and, 12 minutes later, firing home a volley from close range.

In the 44th minute, right after Valencia keeper Julen Agirrezabala denied Vinicius Jr from the penalty spot, Bellingham struck a sublime low shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to make it 3-0, while Carreras unleashed an unstoppable angled shot in the 82nd to wrap up the thrashing.

Bayern win again

German Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich struck three goals in 19 minutes in a rampant first half to power past visitors Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and stretch their record-extending run to 15 wins from 15 matches across all competitions this season.

Goals from Serge Gnabry and Nicolas Jackson and an own goal from Loic Bade in the 44th minute gave Bayern, who rested top scorer Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz in the first half ahead of next week’s trip to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, an easy victory.

They extended their record run in Europe’s top five leagues to 15 wins on the trot after setting a record on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over Cologne in the German Cup second round, improving on AC Milan’s 13 straight wins from 1992/3. Bayern are in top spot on 27 points, five ahead of RB Leipzig.

Leverkusen suffered their first league loss under coach Kasper Hjulmand and saw their record-breaking undefeated run on the road end after 37 league matches and more than two seasons, with their previous away defeat in the league dating back to May 27 2023.

“I am just happy with the three points. From this moment on I am more confident of what the team can do. Obviously we are better when Harry plays but we will have a top-fit Harry against Paris,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told a press conference.

“Today it felt like the moment for the other lads. Now we can go into that game without any fitness concerns. Tuesday (against PSG) will be the highest intensity you can have, the highest in Europe, I think.”

The hosts set a frantic early pace, putting Leverkusen under instant and relentless pressure and with in-form teenager Lennart Karl coming close early on.

They opened their account with a textbook three-touch attack from keeper Manuel Neuer to scorer Gnabry, who finished the move with a low shot in the 25th minute.

Before Leverkusen had time to regroup, the hosts struck again with Jackson bagging his first Bundesliga goal with a header from a Konrad Laimer cross in the 31st. Bade’s own goal from a Raphael Guerreiro cutback crowned a dominant first half for the hosts and killed off the game.

Jackson headed over the bar from close range in the 50th and Guerreiro fired just wide a little later, with Bayern introducing Kane, Diaz and Olise on the hour but failing to score again.

“When a player sometimes does not start you can talk to the player but I did not say anything today. Harry is a pro, he knows exactly why. Harry understands very well what this is about,” Kompany said.

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