Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad: Mbappe scores a hat-trick, but it's Bellingham who papers over Real Madrid's cracks

Real Madrid's title challenge in 2026-27, for now, has a name and surname: Jude Bellingham.

Already the standout performer in the comeback win over Espanyol last Saturday, when he found the net himself, the midfielder was decisive once again in the 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Wednesday, at the Santiago Bernabeu. This despite Kylian Mbappe finishing the match with a hat-trick.

For the second Real Madrid league game in a row, the Spanish side once again exposed familiar problems already seen on the opening day. Pressing in the final third proved problematic and inconsistently applied by some players, such as Vinicius Junior and Mbappe.

In a marking mix-up, with Denzel Dumfries unsure who to track, Sergio Gomez played Job Ochieng in behind the defence in the move that led to Luka Sucic's equaliser late in the first half.

The scoring had been opened minutes earlier by the French centre-forward, who fired home a left-footed rocket after a superb pass from Fede Valverde.

The second goal also came from Mbappe, who took advantage of the way Jose Mourinho has been using Bellingham.

Bellingham is lethal closer to the box

Even during the World Cup, in which the Englishman scored eight goals for his country, reports in the Spanish press suggested the Portuguese manager wanted to restore Bellingham's decisive form of old, pushing him closer to the box, as he was in his first year at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The start of the season has reinforced that approach. For Real Madrid's second goal, in the 14th minute of the second half, it was the number 5, arriving at the edge of the box, offering the passing option for the one-two that led to another Mbappe goal. On the third, the midfielder showed a different side to his game.

After having a shot blocked, Jude did not drop off, unlike some of his attacking teammates, continuing to press and winning the ball back to set up Vinicius Junior, settling a match that could have become complicated given the quality of the opposition.

The scoring was rounded off by a wonderful pass from the Brazilian, allowing Mbappe to finish with a delightful chip.

Vini finished with a goal and an assist. The Frenchman with three goals of his own. But it is Bellingham who has been the man compensating for the flaws in a Real Madrid side still searching for its ideal balance.

The midfield pairing of Bernardo Silva and Valverde has proven too lightweight and lacking in bite. The return of Aurelien Tchouameni, once he recovers from injury, looks increasingly inevitable.

Real Madrid dominate, but are punished in the first half

Despite a chance for Mikel Oyarzabal that required a save from Thibaut Courtois, Real Sociedad did not trouble the hosts too much until levelling the match in the 43rd minute.

The home side at the Bernabeu piled up chances to score. Mbappe and Vinicius each had a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. Both badly missed the target, particularly the Brazilian, unmarked inside the box with all the time in the world to place his shot. The miss proved costly.

The Basque side, having competed well in the first half, stopped functioning in the second. Mbappe's missed chance right at the start of the half set the tone for what followed: three goals inside a 20-minute span.

It could have been even more had goalkeeper Alex Remiro not produced several excellent saves, or had Carlos Espi not been ruled offside for a disallowed Brahim Diaz goal in stoppage time.