A floodlit football stadium at night with a football resting on the centre spot of an empty green pitch, a symbolic illustration of a La Liga match night.
Sports & Cricket
Real Madrid cruise past Racing 3-0 to keep La Liga title race alive
Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 at El Sardinero, with Mbappe, Bellingham and Diomande scoring in the first 36 minutes to keep the La Liga title race tight.
⚡Key Highlights
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Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 at El Sardinero, with Mbappe, Bellingham and Diomande scoring in the first 36 minutes to keep the La Liga title race tight.
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Key analysis, background details, and full reporting below.
Real Madrid ended Racing Santander's unbeaten home record with a ruthless first-half display at El Sardinero, moving to within three points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.
By StoryTimesNow Sports Desk — 02 November 2026, 11:05 AM IST
A symbolic illustration of a floodlit match night at El Sardinero. (Illustration: StoryTimesNow)
Key Takeaways
What happened: Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 in La Liga on Sunday, 1 November 2026, with all three goals scored in the first 36 minutes.
Who is affected: Madrid stay third on 27 points from 11 matches, three points behind leaders Barcelona; Racing lose their unbeaten home record.
What is next: Madrid travel to AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, while Racing must regroup after a first home defeat of the season.
Introduction
Real Madrid needed barely half an hour to settle their trip to Santander. Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring from the penalty spot, Jude Bellingham doubled the lead on a counter-attack, and Yan Diomande added a third before half-time. The 3-0 win at El Sardinero on Sunday, 1 November 2026, extended Madrid's winning run to six matches and kept the pressure on Barcelona.
What Happened?
Madrid struck first in the 11th minute. Mbappe converted a penalty to give the visitors the lead, a decision that drew debate afterwards but which the French striker dispatched with his usual confidence. It was his 12th La Liga goal of the season, and it arrived days after he finished runner-up to Harry Kane in the Ballon d'Or voting.
The second goal, ten minutes later, was the pick of the afternoon for its ruthlessness. Arda Guler played a through ball that released Bellingham, who raced clear, rounded Racing goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala and passed the ball into an empty net. The goal was Bellingham's 50th for Real Madrid, taking him past Zinedine Zidane's tally for the club, according to TNT Sports.
Diomande completed the first-half scoring in the 36th minute, firing home from outside the penalty area to make it 3-0. Racing saw a second-half penalty award cancelled after a VAR check, but there was no way back. Madrid saw out the game comfortably to record their ninth league win of the season.
Why Does This Matter?
The result matters first for the title race. After 11 rounds, Madrid have 27 points and sit third, three points behind leaders Barcelona. With Barcelona having thrashed Alaves 6-1 the previous day, anything less than a win in Santander would have left Madrid six points adrift and facing awkward questions. Instead, they closed the gap and kept the race tight heading into the winter months.
It also matters as a statement of form: a sixth straight win in all competitions, following victories over Villarreal, Roma, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, Barcelona and Racing, including the 2-1 El Clasico win at Camp Nou.
For Racing, the defeat does not undo a fine start back in the top flight, but conceding three goals before half-time will concern supporters as they look to stay clear of trouble.
Important Details
Final score: Racing Santander 0-3 Real Madrid, La Liga matchday 11, Estadio El Sardinero, Santander, Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Goals: Kylian Mbappe (penalty, 11th minute), Jude Bellingham (21st minute, assisted by Arda Guler), Yan Diomande (36th minute).
Milestone: Bellingham's 50th goal for Real Madrid, passing Zinedine Zidane's total, as reported by TNT Sports.
Standings: Real Madrid third, 27 points from 11 matches, three behind Barcelona; ninth league win.
Winning run: Six straight wins in all competitions, including the El Clasico victory over Barcelona.
Absentee: Madrid won without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, who was serving a ban that covered this fixture.
Next match: Real Madrid travel to AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
Background and Context
Racing returned to La Liga as a newly promoted side and had made El Sardinero difficult to visit, going unbeaten in five home league matches before Madrid arrived.
Jose Mourinho's side arrived on the back of the El Clasico win, and Mbappe, Bellingham and Guler were all involved in the goals. The wider context is a tightening title race: Barcelona lead, but Madrid's six-win run has cut the gap to three points.
What Happens Next?
Madrid head to Athens for Wednesday night's Champions League tie against AEK, where Mourinho must balance keeping the winning run going with managing minutes across a demanding run of fixtures.
Racing must show that one heavy home defeat does not become a slide. Their season will be judged on how they handle setbacks like this, not on whether they beat Real Madrid.
What Readers Should Know
The key point is simple: this was not a late smash-and-grab. Madrid scored three times in the first 36 minutes and then controlled the game, and the second and third goals were the product of pace, passing and finishing Racing could not match.
Bellingham's milestone places him in distinguished company, even if comparisons with Zidane should be kept in perspective: Zidane's Madrid legacy was built on more than goals alone.
FAQs
What was the final score?
Racing Santander 0-3 Real Madrid, in La Liga on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Who scored for Real Madrid?
Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot in the 11th minute, Jude Bellingham in the 21st minute and Yan Diomande in the 36th minute.
Where do Real Madrid sit in La Liga now?
Third, with 27 points from 11 matches, three points behind leaders Barcelona.
What is next for Real Madrid?
An away UEFA Champions League match against AEK Athens on Wednesday night.
Sources and Verification
Result, scorers and timings were cross-checked across TNT Sports, beIN SPORTS and vietnam.vn reports published on 1-2 November 2026. Bellingham's 50-goal milestone is as reported by TNT Sports. Where reports differed on minor details, such as the player fouled for the penalty, this article omits the disputed detail rather than guessing.
TNT Sports, Racing Santander 0-3 Real Madrid report, 1 November 2026: https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/la-liga/2026-2027/live-racing-santander-real-madrid_mtc21891551/live-commentary.shtml
beIN SPORTS, Racing Santander vs Real Madrid goals report, 1 November 2026: https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/la-liga/articles/live-blog-racing-santander-vs-real-madrid-laliga-2026-11-01-todos_los_goles_racing_de_santander_vs_real_madri
vietnam.vn, Real Madrid win six consecutive matches report, 2 November 2026: https://www.vietnam.vn/en/real-madrid-thang-6-tran-lien-tiep-ap-sat-barcelona
This report is based on published match reports from TNT Sports, beIN SPORTS and vietnam.vn. Figures for points and standings reflect the position after matchday 11. If any detail is corrected by the clubs or La Liga, this article will be updated.
