José Mourinho’s Real Madrid is, for now, a team that lives in anticipation of events that trigger its strikes, a machine of impulses, very little organic unless Arda Güler appears to connect the pieces. But that is supported by a huge load of gunpowder and an always inspired Courtois who also helped them overcome a willing Rayo Vallecano, with two more goals from Mbappé, one from Carreras, and another from Bellingham. Madrid does not forgive.
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The events that trigger Real’s strikes are of two types: opponent errors and flashes of their own genius. As against Inter Milan on Tuesday, they started punishing two mistakes by Rayo harshly. Hardly anything had happened yet in a slow-paced match, played at a leisurely pace, when Carreras accelerated towards a pass from Vinicius, stepped into the area, and Lejeune knocked him down when the play seemed destined to die.
The incident was very similar to the penalty that Mbappé missed and could not repeat against Betis in Seville. Like that night, the Frenchman grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot. But this time he hit the net. Before the shot, which he delayed with a couple of feints, Emil Audero was already down on the grass, the 29-year-old goalkeeper born in Indonesia and trained in Juventus’ youth system who was debuting with Rayo. He arrived in Spain just over a week ago, loaned from Como after Batalla’s serious injury, and La Liga received him with a goal from the player who most eagerly aims for the next Ballon d’Or.
Just two minutes later Lejeune tried to pass to Audero, but he executed it to a point where the goalkeeper was not, and Vinicius snatched the ball from them. He looked for Mbappé in the area, but Audero came out to clear, although only to hand it to Madrid. Mbappé returned a wall pass to Carreras and the Galician fullback, who had caused the penalty, scored the second.
Rayo’s game plan, whatever it was, had evaporated in two blunders by Lejeune without Madrid even needing to show theirs. Or maybe they did, and that was it. In reality, this is how Mourinho’s Real matches are for now, a pack of voracious hunters waiting. The team starts plays near Courtois almost lazily, walking from the back, without many ideas even with Bernardo Silva as this time, while ahead lingers a collection of devastating specimens: always Mbappé, Vinicius, and Bellingham, joined by Diomande on the right in his first start. Madrid goes for a stroll, gets them the ball, and waits for their sparks to produce flame, something more likely the more desperate the opponent is and starts to open up, like Rayo after receiving the first two blows.
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There Vinicius appeared again, sharper, faster, and more accurate. Also with more support, applauded from his first intervention, with some intermediate protests until the final ovation. The Brazilian also had a shot that escaped Audero and almost Mbappé scored, and a clean run with a back pass that ended in a Bellingham goal with an inside finish like Kroos.
THESE TWO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER PERFECTLY 🫂
— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) September 12, 2026
The speed and vision of Vinícius JR. The perfect finish by Bellingham 🌟🇧🇷🏴#LALIGAenDAZN ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/v9tYHv68so
Despite the result and momentum, Rayo, heavily weakened by absences and with several newly incorporated players, found stretches of fast combinations from which they took several shots that the formidable Courtois defused. Beñat San José’s team was taking hits, the flashes from the attacking quartet, but did not give up, always brave. They tried to keep pressing, to accelerate again. Thus they forced a bad pass from Vinicius, which Camello took advantage of to score his sixth goal of the season, just one behind Mbappé in the top scorer race.
The goal revealed the fragility of the reconciliation of the stands with Vinicius and the team, after two disappointing years. The boos returned, some nervous tension, in the middle of a night that seemed happy. Pedro Díaz hit the post, Courtois gave another save, the whistles intensified with 3-1 in favor. Until Güler came on and sense appeared. He assisted Mbappé in the fourth and ended up calming the crowd, enchanted by his football.
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