Real Madrid cantered into the international break atop La Liga after a 4-0 rout of Osasuna on Saturday afternoon, with Jude Bellingham once again the star attraction at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Bellingham arrived in Madrid to comparisons with Zinedine Zidane after taking his number 5 shirt but was likened to Diego Maradona and even the untouchable Alfredo Di Stefano following his midweek masterclass against Napoli. Seemingly no amount of hype - and definitely not the Osasuna backline - can faze this 20-year-old.
Vinicius Junior and Joselu, who also conspired to have a spot kick saved, completed the rout in the final half hour, sending Madrid back above Girona at La Liga's summit.
How the game unfolded
Carlo Ancelotti publicly set his team the challenge of playing "fast-flowing football with intensity". Madrid duly obliged within the opening ten minutes.
In stark contrast to a series of groggy starts this season - Madrid had conceded a league-high four goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches - the hosts raced into an early lead. Bellingham capped off a slick passing sequence down Osasuna's left flank, shifting Dani Carvajal's first-time layoff onto his left boot before stuffing it into the roof of the net.
Yet, Osasuna, just as they did in May's Copa del Rey final against Madrid, grew into the contest. More than half the league have conceded fewer shots than Madrid this season - most of which came before Ancelotti's defensive selection headache - and the visitors carved open sights of Kepa Arrizabalaga's goal.
The clearest chance fell to Ante Budimir on the cusp of half-time but Osasuna's leading scorer lacked all the guile that Bellingham had shown from a similar range half an hour earlier, missing the target entirely.
The interval punctured Osasuna's momentum. Forced into a low block by a reinvigorated Madrid, the visitors defended raggedly. Bellingham teased his way past a glut of red shirts, exchanging passes with Fede Valverde and slotting a nonchalant effort between Sergio Herrera's legs for his tenth goal of an already incredible season.
Osasuna, unaided by the absence of their long-serving, suspended manager Jagoba Arrasate, crumbled in the final half-hour.
Vinicius Junior mercilessly took advantage of the chaos, spearing through the middle of the pitch to latch onto Valverde's through ball and finish off a high-speed counter. The Brazilian bullied his way past David Garcia onto a long ball just five minutes later, teeing up Joselu for Madrid's fourth goal.
Joselu was denied a brace of his own from 12 yards after planting a tame penalty straight at Herrera. While it will certainly play on the striker's mind, it didn't affect a match that only became a stroll for Madrid after half-time.
Real Madrid player ratings (4-3-1-2)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 7/10 - Alert when sporadically called into action.
RB: Dani Carvajal - 7/10 - Happily picnicked down Osasuna's left flank, where opponents aside from Madrid have also enjoyed great success this season.
CB: Aurelien Tchouameni - 6/10 - Starting in an unfamiliar centre-back role, the natural midfielder was unnerved when lured into one-on-one duels but didn't look entirely uncomfortable.
CB: Antonio Rudiger - 5/10 - The only recognised centre-back on the pitch - or in the squad - didn't convey an unwavering sense of calm.
LB: Ferland Mendy - 6/10 - Kept his passing safe - and successful - but rarely cantered forward in support of Vinicius.
CM: Fede Valverde - 8/10 - Brought his usual brand of aggression and demonstrated the artistry to unpick Osasuna.
CM: Eduardo Camavinga - 6/10 - Helped Modric with the first phase of buildup and raced in to plug as many gaps as he could out of possession. Real shame that he could only be in one place at once.
CM: Luka Modric - 7/10 - Intent on making a statement after watching the last two league games from the bench, Modric started practically every Madrid move and hounded after the ball out of possession as well.
AM: Jude Bellingham - 9/10 - The unrelenting attacking return will naturally steal the headlines but Bellingham also mucked in with the dirtier, defensive side of the game.
ST: Joselu - 6/10 - A typical level of finesse associated with Madrid players may be lacking but Joselu shifted the Osasuna backline deep enough to create space for the likes of Bellingham to surge into.
ST: Vinicius Junior - 6/10 - Constantly trying to raise the tempo - of his team and the crowd - on a sleepy Saturday afternoon but sometimes his mind worked even faster than his legs. The rust from his lengthy injury layoff has not entirely faded.
Substitutes
SUB: Toni Kroos (67' for Camavinga) - 6/10 - So relaxed he afforded a fan a high-five while taking a corner kick.
SUB: Rodrygo (72' for Vinicius) - 5/10
SUB: Dani Ceballos (72' for Bellingham) - 5/10
SUB: Brahim Diaz (79' for Modric) - N/A
SUB: Lucas Vazquez (79' for Carvajal) - N/A
Subs not used: Pineiro (GK), Lunin (GK), Garcia, Carrillo
Manager
Carlo Ancelotti - 7/10 - Worked his way around the defensive injuries well and watched on as Osasuna folded in the face of his side's star quality.
Player of the match - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
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This article was originally published on 90min as Real Madrid 4-0 Osasuna: Player ratings as Jude Bellingham bags a brace.
