Real Madrid cruised to a 4-0 victory over Malaga at the Bernabeu, as Jose Mourinho’s side moved top of La Liga with a dominant display to make it three wins from three.

Jude Bellingham, Alfonso Herrero’s own goal, and a strike each from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler completed a fine afternoon’s work in the Spanish capital.

Mourinho rang in the changes from Wednesday night’s win over Real Sociedad, with Trent Alexander-Arnold handed his first start of the new campaign.

The former Liverpool defender was finding his range with a series of sumptuous trademark passes, but it was Bellingham who set Los Blancos on their way to victory.

Bellingham had praised Mourinho for allowing him to play with more freedom in the build-up to the match, and certainly carried on in that vein for Real’s opener.

He held off Angel Recio’s challenge in midfield and made a driving run into the box, before slotting an angled finish through Herrero’s legs.

Bellingham played a telling role in Real’s second goal, and was unlucky not to have added his name to the scoresheet again, as his header was blocked by Carlos Puga, and the defender’s attempted clearance hit Herrero before crossing the line.

Any hopes of a Malaga comeback were effectively extinguished on the half-hour mark, with Mbappe sweeping home a clinical third goal with an expertly taken first-time strike from Alexander-Arnold’s cross.

Nevertheless, the Andalusians were very close to ruining Thibaut Courtois’ clean sheet when Rafael Rodriguez’s effort cannoned off the post before half-time.

The visitors thought they had a chance to claim a consolation when Yan Diomande was initially penalised for handball from Haitam Abaida’s free-kick, but VAR overturned the call.

It was then left to substitute Guler to complete an emphatic victory with a tap-in from Vinicius Junior’s cross in stoppage time.