[Real Madrid](https://www.managingmadrid.com)’s first half against Girona was not unusual this season, but it did not matter as they cruised to a 3-0 win, with a goal each from Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler. Here are three quick observations before Atalanta.
### Jude Bellingham, Mr Reliable
It sometimes becomes difficult to find superlatives for Bellingham, who is asked to do all kinds of things, but of course, being the good man he is — he obliges.
Bellingham has been one of the best players in this stretch of the season where, although Real Madrid have collected wins, they have also lost a few, and those few were more important than the ones they won. Be that as it may, Bellingham is doing Bellingham stuff again. He was once again the shining light of the first half, as he scored a goal — a much-needed goal against the run of play — had three clearances and also created two chances. Bellingham was the best player on the pitch, as he was against Athletic Club, against Getafe, and against countless oppositions in the past.
Bellingham has been tasked with a lot of things lately, he is the first man Los Blancos look for when they need some creativity. He is also called upon to: get out of bad pressing sequences, be an aggressive presser, win duels and challenges, carry the ball from point A to point B, block shots, score goals, save the Earth, etc.
It is not sustainable, though. Obviously, it isn’t. It is hard to believe, but Bellingham is also human. He is digging Real Madrid out of every hole possible, but he can only do so much, other players need to step up more and Ancelotti needs to ask less of him before he starts (rightfully) getting more and more fatigued.
### A disastrous first-half
Real Madrid played poorly in the first half, and had to have their blushes spared by the man mentioned above. _Los Blancos_ were getting torn apart fairly easily by eighth-placed Girona, and they sometimes had no answer for them.
Going forward, except for that goal from Bellingham, Real Madrid had nothing to show for the possession and the passes. They looked like a team sorely lacking ideas, and had no problem keeping possession of the ball without any motive and intent.
Real Madrid found their feet in the second half, and were inspired once again by Bellingham with a beautiful assist to Arda Guler, pushing the accelerator just enough to give the team some breathing room, but that first half was simply not good, and the alarm bells would’ve started ringing if the other team had scored first.
Real Madrid are going to face Atalanta on Tuesday. Knowing how crucial it is for them to win, and how tough it will be to beat a team challenging for the Serie A title, they will have to improve heavily. The press was poor — _drop_ _it_. If they press that way against Atalanta, they will get burned down with no remorse, and that is the opposite of what Real Madrid want in this situation.
Los Blancos desperately need a win on Tuesday, and if there is anything that they should do, that is make sure they do not show up the way they did on Saturday.
### Luka Modric, timeless
Luka Modric had one of his best performances of the season. That part is not shocking, as Modric has had a sluggish season. To be absolutely fair to Modric, it is incredible to see him even play at this level at this age, but that is a testament to his quality and longevity. Playing at Madrid till 40 is not for everyone, but Modric is well on his way to doing just that.
His physical attributes may be tarnishing bit by bit every season, but he’s still pretty much all there in terms of footballing IQ. He still has excellent vision, he can control the game pretty well and is still an outrageous passer of the ball.
Modric may not be good enough to start every game, but he is still a good option to have when you want ball retention towards the end of the game. If you want to see out victories, he is still pretty good at controlling the game for 20-30 minutes.
Modric did play the full 90 against Girona, and he was great: he had one assist, 121 touches, 103 completed passes out of the 112, four key passes, eight out of 10 long balls completed, two clearances, one interception and a tackle.
The Croatian was involved in every single goal that Real Madrid scored, and became the first player this season to have completed more than 100 passes in a football match.
Modric may not be the player he once was, but he is still capable of dishing out beautiful performances every now and again.