BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It wasn’t supposed to look this comfortable for Real Madrid — even for a team which is nearly always a strong contender to win the Spanish league.
Not after Karim Benzema left for even bigger money in Saudi Arabia and injuries wiped out the heart of Madrid’s defense.
But Jude Bellingham took Spain by storm, Vinícius Júnior did what the super-talented Brazilian does, and Madrid’s backups rose to the challenge as Madrid clinched its record-extending 36th Spanish league title on Saturday with four games left.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will now focus on trying to beat Bayern Munich to reach another Champions League final. The winner will play either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain.
Here’s how Real Madrid did it:
Madrid hit the jackpot when it secured the transfer of Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. He was given the No. 5 jersey of Zinedine Zidane, along with the pressure of having put Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric on the bench.
