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Bellingham Impresses Again as Real Madrid Deals Girona Its 1st Defeat of Season to Go Top of League

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring the 0-3 goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Girona FC and Real Madrid at Montilivi stadium in Girona, Spain, 30 September 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring the 0-3 goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Girona FC and Real Madrid at Montilivi stadium in Girona, Spain, 30 September 2023. (EPA)
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Bellingham Impresses Again as Real Madrid Deals Girona Its 1st Defeat of Season to Go Top of League

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring the 0-3 goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Girona FC and Real Madrid at Montilivi stadium in Girona, Spain, 30 September 2023. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring the 0-3 goal during the Spanish LaLiga match between Girona FC and Real Madrid at Montilivi stadium in Girona, Spain, 30 September 2023. (EPA)

Jude Bellingham gave Girona a reality check on Saturday after he led Real Madrid to a 3-0 away victory over the early-season sensation in the Spanish league.

Girona had entered the round undefeated and on a six-game winning streak that had taken it to the top of the standings for the first time in the club's history.

But Bellingham put Madrid on course for the win by producing a superb pass for Joselu Mato’s 17th-minute opener. After Aurélien Tchouaméni quickly doubled the advantage, Bellingham rounded off the scoring with his league-leading sixth goal in eight rounds.

"It was an important win," Bellingham said. "We made a statement of intent to La Liga — three goals and a clean sheet against a team that was doing very well."

Madrid climbed over Girona and Barcelona to the top of the standings. Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid now leads Barcelona by one point and Girona by two.

Girona, which is partly controlled by Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi ownership, had the early initiative until Bellingham again showed why Madrid spent big to acquire the 20-year-old England player from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

Girona twice threatened to score in the opening five minutes when Yangel Herrera headed over the bar and Artem Dovbyk headed off the post.

Then it was Bellingham's turn to use the outside edge of his right boot to bend a pass around three defenders and connect with Joselu at the far post where the striker fired home. Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga got his gloves on the shot but couldn’t keep it out.

"That pass by Bellingham was spectacular and that goal hurt us a lot because until then we were playing well," Girona coach Míchel Sánchez said. "Madrid was full-on today and that opener made us realize how tough the game was going to be."

Bellingham said his pass was inspired by teammate Luka Modric, the veteran midfielder who was on Madrid's bench.

"I’ve been watching Modrić every day for three months," he said. "I just want to be creative. It was a good goal because it took the pressure off us that they put on us at the start."

Tchouaméni added a second goal in the 21st when he was left enough room to head in Toni Kroos’ corner kick.

Girona saw a chance to get back into the game five minutes after halftime when David López got his head on a corner, only for Kepa Arrizabalaga to swat the ball to safety.

Míchel sent on more attacking players and Girona pushed forward, but Madrid never had trouble defending its area and was eventually exposed in defense.

Joselu returned the assist for Bellingham in the 71st when the former Espanyol striker found Bellingham to score after a three-on-two counterattack.

Madrid lost defender Nacho Fernández in injury time when he saw a direct red for a studs-first tackle on Girona’s Cristian "Portu" Portugués. Portu had to be carried off on a stretcher. The foul led to a brief confrontation between players.

Ancelotti apologized to Girona for the foul that he called "senseless." Míchel said that Portu will undergo tests to determine the extent of his injury.

Madrid visits Napoli on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Basque derby

Real Sociedad rolled to a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque Country’s biggest derby.

Robin Le Normand, Takefusa Kubo and Mikel Oyarzabal scored for the hosts, which moved ahead of Bilbao and into fourth place.

Falcao penalty

Radamel Falcao scored from a retaken stoppage-time penalty to snatch a 2-2 draw for Rayo Vallecano with Mallorca.

Predrag Rajkovic saved the initial spot kick taken by Falcao, but the referee ruled that Mallorca’s goalkeeper had left his line too early. Falcao didn't squander his second chance.

Ten-man Villarreal salvaged a 0-0 draw at Getafe after midfielder Álex Baena was sent off with a direct red card in the 24th for elbowing an opponent. Baena scored in his debut for Spain earlier in September.

Filip Jörgensen made several saves to preserve the point for Villarreal.

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Flotilla on Seine, Rain and Celine Dion Mark Start of Paris Olympics

Members of delegations are seen during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Members of delegations are seen during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Flotilla on Seine, Rain and Celine Dion Mark Start of Paris Olympics

Members of delegations are seen during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Members of delegations are seen during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympic Games open on Friday after a soaking wet ceremony in which athletes were cheered by the crowd along the Seine, dancers took to the roofs of Paris and Lady Gaga sang a French cabaret song.

France's three-time Olympic gold medalists Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner then lit the Olympic cauldron, suspended on a hot-air balloon, before Canada's Celine Dion sang Edith Piaf's "Hymn to Love", in her first public performance in years, drawing huge cheers from the crowd.

The 30-meter (98 ft) high balloon carrying a 7-meter diameter ring of fire took to the air and was hovering dozens of meters above the ground.

It will be in the air from sunset until 2 am local time every day, organizers said.

"We are so proud of this show, I'm so proud that sport and culture were celebrated in such a fantastic manner tonight, it was a first and the result was fantastic despite the rain," Paris 2024 organizing president Tony Estanguet told reporters.

A fleet of barges took the competitors on a 6 km-stretch of the river alongside some of the French capital's most famous landmarks, as performers recreated some of the sports to be showcased in the Games on floating platforms.

It was the first time that an opening ceremony has taken place outside a stadium, adding to the headaches for a vast security operation, just hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed TGV rail network caused travel chaos across France.

"I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace," International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said as the ceremony came to an end at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

More than 10,500 athletes will compete at the Olympics, 100 years since Paris last staged the Games. Competition started on Wednesday and the first of the 329 gold medals will be awarded on Saturday.

As the show started four hours earlier, a giant plume of blue, white and red smoke, resembling the French flag, was sent high above a bridge over the Seine as part of a show that included many postcard-like depictions of France, including a huge cancan line performed by Moulin Rouge dancers on the banks.

A more modern image of the country was on display when French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most-listened to French female singer in the world, sang some of her biggest hits, accompanied by the French Republican Guard's army choir.

Nakamura's performance drew some of the ceremony's biggest cheers. Rumors of her inclusion had sparked a row over French identity, with supporters saying she represented the vibrancy of modern-day France while her detractors said her music owes more to foreign influences than French.

POURING RAIN

While the celebration of French culture, fashion and history was warmly cheered by many of the 300,000 spectators lining the river, hundreds were seen leaving early as the rain fell.

"It was good other than the rain, it was nice, it was different, instead of being in a stadium being on the river, so that's always a good thing - interesting, unique," said Avid Pureval, 34, who came to the Games from Ohio.

"Once you're wet, it's fine," he said. Still, he was heading back to his hotel after the French boat passed, long before the ceremony ended.

"It would have been better with sun," said Josephine, from Paris, sitting beside her 9-year-old daughter and who paid 1,600 euros ($1,736) for her seat.

With many world leaders and VIPs present, the ceremony was protected by snipers on rooftops. The Seine's riverbed was swept for bombs, and Paris' airspace was closed.

Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers were deployed in a huge security operation in Paris for the ceremony. Armed police patrolled along the river in inflatable boats as the armada made its passage along the Seine.

WELCOMED IN TAHITI

A mix of French and international stars, including soccer great Zinedine Zidane, 14-times French Open champion Rafa Nadal, 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and three paralympic athletes were among the last torchbearers before the cauldron was lit.

It will blaze until the closing ceremony on Aug. 11.

At the start of the parade, applause erupted for the Greek boat - the first delegation, by tradition - and there were even bigger cheers for the boat that followed, carrying the refugees' team. The French, US and Ukrainian delegations also got loud cheers.

The two most decorated athletes in the Games' history, Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade, unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals.

At one point, there was a live crossover to the early morning welcome ceremony at the surfing venue, 16,000 km away in the Pacific island of Tahiti.

ISRAEL DELEGATION

France is at its highest level of security, though officials have repeatedly said there was no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.

But since the last Games - the Winter Olympics held in Beijing in 2022 - wars have erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a tense international backdrop.

Israeli competitors are being escorted by elite tactical units to and from events and are given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics due to the war in Gaza, officials say.

The Israel delegation got some boos, but also a lot of cheers, as it sailed by spectators, Reuters reporters saw. Chants of "Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!" rose from the crowd as the boat passed.

Macron, who won a second mandate two years ago, had hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy. But his failed bet on a snap legislative election has weakened him and cast a shadow over his moment on the international stage.