Jude Bellingham set Real Madrid on their way to victory away to in-form Girona with an extraordinary assist at Montilivi in LaLiga on Saturday.
The England midfielder, who is Madrid's top scorer with six goals in all competitions this season, was restored to the starting line-up after sitting on the bench for the midweek win over Las Palmas and soon made his mark.
Against Girona, LaLiga leaders ahead of the latest round of matches, the 20-year-old provided the spark of inspiration as he threaded an inch-perfect pass through to Joselu to open the scoring after 17 minutes.
And Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, watching on television as he recovers from a serious injury, was impressed with his team-mate's contribution.
"What an assist mate," Courtois wrote on Twitter alongside shocked face and heart eyes emojis.
Real Madrid extended their lead through Aurelien Tchouameni four minutes after their opening goal and Bellingham got on the scoresheet himself in the second half.
What a ball by Bellingham 🤯🏴Joselu makes it 1-0 to Real Madrid against Girona with a close-range finish 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UD1uFS0ruWSeptember 30, 2023
The England midfielder volleyed in off the ground from close to the penalty spot following a breakaway attack after Joselu flicked the ball into his path.
It was the 20-year-old's seventh goal of the season and a sixth in LaLiga.
Madrid's win sees Carlo Ancelotti's side return to the top of LaLiga with 21 points from their eight games, one more than rivals Barcelona and two ahead of Girona.
Los Blancos had dropped off the top of the table following last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the derby.
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Jude Bellingham scored on his LaLiga debut for Real Madrid, earning praise from coach Carlo Ancelotti for his performance in Bilbao.
The England midfielder then matched a Cristiano Ronaldo feat as he netted in his second appearance for Los Blancos, with two goals and an assist at Almeria.
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