Real Madrid 4–0 Malaga: Perfect Start Continues With Three Wins From Three
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Real Madrid continued their perfect La Liga start with a 4-0 win over Malaga, reaching 9 points from 3 matches. Full goals, statistics and player-performance analysis.
Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season with a commanding 4–0 victory over Malaga in Matchweek 3 of the 2026/27 campaign.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute before Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero turned the ball into his own net seven minutes later. Kylian Mbappé added the third in the 30th minute, with Trent Alexander-Arnold providing the assist.
Arda Güler then completed the scoring in stoppage time after being set up by Vinícius Júnior.
The result leaves Real Madrid top of the table with 9 points from 3 matches and a perfect record of three wins.
⚽ Goals
| Minute | Team | Scorer | Assist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19' | Real Madrid | Jude Bellingham | — |
| 26' | Real Madrid | Alfonso Herrero — Own Goal | — |
| 30' | Real Madrid | Kylian Mbappé | Trent Alexander-Arnold |
| 90+1' | Real Madrid | Arda Güler | Vinícius Júnior |
Real Madrid Took Control Early
Real Madrid needed only 11 minutes between their first and third goals to take firm control of the match.
Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 19th minute before Alfonso Herrero's own goal doubled Madrid's advantage in the 26th.
Four minutes later, Alexander-Arnold created the third goal for Mbappé, giving Real Madrid a commanding lead before the game had reached the half-hour mark.
From that point, Madrid were able to manage the match from a position of strength.
Although Malaga finished with 13 shots compared with Real Madrid's 17, the difference in the quality and accuracy of those efforts was significant.
Real Madrid registered 7 shots on target, while Malaga managed just 1.
The expected-goals numbers followed the same pattern, with Madrid producing 2.34 xG compared with Malaga's 0.67.
📊 Match Statistics
| Statistic | Real Madrid | Malaga |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 57% | 43% |
| Shots | 17 | 13 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 1 |
| Expected Goals | 2.34 | 0.67 |
| Corners | 8 | 5 |
| Fouls | 6 | 9 |
| Pass Accuracy | 92% | 88% |
| Yellow Cards | 0 | 1 |
The main difference was not simply the number of attempts, but how effectively Real Madrid turned possession into dangerous situations.
Seven of Madrid's 17 shots were on target, while Malaga tested Thibaut Courtois only once.
⭐ Player Performance
The player-impact data provides a deeper look at how the match was controlled, particularly through touches, passing volume, passing accuracy and duels.
A player not appearing in the following tables means that Sportmonks data was not available for that player. It does not indicate a lack of influence on the match.
Real Madrid
| Player | Minutes | Touches | Passes | Pass Accuracy | Duels Won | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 90 | 117 | 96 | 94% | — | 8.45 |
| Antonio Rüdiger | 90 | 91 | 82 | 96% | 2/3 | 7.37 |
| Eduardo Camavinga | 90 | 84 | 71 | 95% | 4/8 | 7.03 |
| Marc Cucurella | 90 | 77 | 51 | 90% | 4/6 | 7.15 |
| Federico Valverde | 77 | 64 | 56 | 89% | — | 6.80 |
| Dean Huijsen | 90 | 62 | 54 | 97% | 4/6 | 6.99 |
Alexander-Arnold at the Heart of Madrid's Build-Up
One of the standout individual performances came from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He recorded 117 touches, the highest figure among the Real Madrid players for whom player-impact data was available, while completing 96 passes at 94% accuracy.
His overall rating of 8.45 was also the highest in the available Madrid data.
Alexander-Arnold contributed directly to the scoring as well, providing the assist for Mbappé's goal in the 30th minute.
His numbers underline just how heavily involved he was in Real Madrid's possession and build-up play.
High Passing Accuracy at the Back
Dean Huijsen posted the highest passing accuracy among the Madrid players listed, completing his passes at 97% from 54 attempts.
Antonio Rüdiger followed with 96% accuracy from 82 passes, while Eduardo Camavinga completed 71 passes at 95% accuracy.
Those individual numbers help explain Real Madrid's overall 92% pass accuracy.
Malaga
| Player | Minutes | Touches | Passes | Pass Accuracy | Duels Won | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafita | 90 | 73 | 52 | 95% | 4/9 | 6.34 |
| Carlos Dotor | 90 | 69 | 61 | 92% | 2/4 | 6.86 |
| David Larrubia | 90 | 59 | 32 | 83% | 9/17 | 7.11 |
| Izan Merino | 87 | 57 | 51 | 78% | 1/3 | 6.65 |
| Ángel Recio | 90 | 53 | 41 | 83% | 3/8 | 6.43 |
| Buga | 60 | 43 | 29 | 72% | 4/11 | 6.39 |
Despite the heavy defeat, David Larrubia recorded the highest rating among the Malaga players included in the available data at 7.11.
He was also involved in a large number of individual contests, winning 9 of his 17 duels.
Rafita recorded the most touches among Malaga's listed players with 73 and completed his passes at an impressive 95% accuracy.
Madrid Did Not Need Overwhelming Possession
The possession numbers finished at 57% to 43%, giving Real Madrid a clear advantage without the match becoming completely one-sided in terms of ball control.
The difference was what Madrid did with their possession.
They completed passes at 92% accuracy, generated 2.34 expected goals, recorded seven shots on target and scored four times.
Malaga, meanwhile, still managed an 88% pass accuracy rate but were unable to translate their possession into comparable threat in the final third.
A Clean Sheet With Minimal Danger
Real Madrid's clean sheet was also reflected strongly in the match data.
Malaga produced 13 shots, but only one was on target.
Their expected-goals total was limited to just 0.67 xG.
Madrid therefore combined attacking efficiency with strong defensive control, limiting the visitors to very little meaningful threat in front of goal.
Güler Comes On and Scores
Real Madrid made three substitutions during the match.
Yan Diomande replaced Brahim Díaz in the 65th minute before Bernardo Silva came on for Federico Valverde in the 77th.
Arda Güler entered in the 87th minute in place of Jude Bellingham.
He needed only a few minutes to make an impact.
In the 90+1st minute, Vinícius Júnior provided the assist and Güler scored Real Madrid's fourth goal to complete the victory.
🔄 Substitutions
Real Madrid
| Minute | Player In | Player Out |
|---|---|---|
| 65' | Yan Diomande | Brahim Díaz |
| 77' | Bernardo Silva | Federico Valverde |
| 87' | Arda Güler | Jude Bellingham |
Malaga
| Minute | Player In | Player Out |
|---|---|---|
| 46' | Pablo Martínez Andres | Rafael Rodríguez |
| 61' | Juan Cruz | Joaquín Muñoz |
| 61' | José Salinas | Buga |
| 74' | Haitam Abaida | Einar Galilea |
| 87' | Ramón Enríquez | Izan Merino |
🟨 Yellow Cards
Malaga received two yellow cards during the match:
- 66' Chupete
- 90+3' Ramón Enríquez
Real Madrid did not receive a yellow card.
9 Points From 9
With this victory, Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the season.
| Matches | Wins | Points | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 9 | W – W – W |
Real Madrid sit 1st with 9 points from 3 matches.
Malaga remain in 20th place with 1 point from 3 matches, with their recent form reading:
L – D – L
📋 Starting Lineups
Real Madrid — 4-2-3-1
Starting XI:
Thibaut Courtois, Dean Huijsen, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappé, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Cucurella, Brahim Díaz, Antonio Rüdiger.
Substitutes:
Andriy Lunin, Arda Güler, Ibrahima Konaté, Álvaro Carreras, Carlos Espí, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Yan Diomande, Jorge Cestero Sancho, Javi Navarro, Mario Rivas, Alexis Ciria.
Malaga — 4-4-2
Starting XI:
Alfonso Herrero, Buga, Einar Galilea, Carlos Dotor, Chupete, David Larrubia, Joaquín Muñoz, Rafael Rodríguez, Ángel Recio, Izan Merino, Rafita.
Substitutes:
Álex Pastor, Ramón Enríquez, Haitam Abaida, José Salinas, Carlos López, Eneko Jauregi, Pablo Martínez, Juan Cruz, Julen Lobete, Joseph Otuonenchi, Juan Francisco Fernández Martin.
📚 Real Madrid's Historical Advantage Over Malaga
The head-to-head data also shows a clear historical advantage for Real Madrid.
| Meetings | Real Madrid Wins | Draws | Malaga Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
Recent recorded meetings include:
- 15 April 2018: Malaga 1–2 Real Madrid
- 25 November 2017: Real Madrid 3–2 Malaga
- 21 May 2017: Malaga 0–2 Real Madrid
- 21 January 2017: Real Madrid 2–1 Malaga
- 21 February 2016: Malaga 1–1 Real Madrid
The latest victory continues Real Madrid's strong historical record in this fixture.
🔍 After90 Analysis
The 4–0 scoreline tells only part of the story.
Real Madrid finished with 57% possession and 92% passing accuracy, while also converting that control into genuine attacking threat: 17 shots, 7 on target and 2.34 expected goals.
The most important factor was how quickly Madrid established control.
The opening goal arrived in the 19th minute and the third followed by the 30th, giving Real Madrid a commanding position before the match had reached the half-hour mark.
From there, Madrid were able to manage possession and control the rhythm rather than chase the game.
Individually, Alexander-Arnold's numbers highlighted his influence in possession: 117 touches, 96 passes at 94% accuracy, one assist and an 8.45 rating.
Behind him, Huijsen's 97% passing accuracy and Rüdiger's 96% helped Madrid circulate the ball cleanly, while Malaga were restricted to only one shot on target.
In attack, the goals were shared between Bellingham, Mbappé and Güler, alongside the own goal, while Alexander-Arnold and Vinícius Júnior both registered assists.
Three matches. Three wins. Nine points. First place.
Real Madrid's start to the La Liga season remains perfect.
Source: All match statistics, lineups, goals, substitutions and player-performance figures in this report are based exclusively on verified After90Sports match data. Player-impact data is provided through Sportmonks.