Football

Real Madrid's relentless march towards the Champions League final continued with a resounding 5-0 victory over Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior were the stars of the show, inspiring Carlo Ancelotti's side to a comprehensive demolition of their Basque visitors.Bellingham opened the scoring with a fortunate goal, directing Toni Kroos' cross towards the far post where Dani Carvajal was running in, but the ball sank directly into the net. The England international then played a pivotal role in Madrid's next three goals, threading a pass through for Eduardo Camavinga to set up Vinicius for a tap-in.Fede Valverde rattled home the third in first-half stoppage time after Bellingham played him in, hammering a strike into the top corner at the near post. Vinicius extended Madrid's lead after Bellingham played him in, lashing home his second of the night with a fine finish.Turkish teenager Arda Guler added a late fifth to put the cherry on Madrid's cake, moving them 17 points clear of second-place Barcelona. The victory was Madrid's 30th consecutive league game unbeaten, a testament to their defensive solidity."We've had just one defeat in the league and I think that a big part of the success is because of (the defence)," Ancelotti said after the match.Despite celebrating their title with an open-top bus parade on Sunday, Madrid remain focused on the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 28. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made a fine double save from Samu Omorodion in the opening minutes, is hoping for a start in the final and boasts three clean sheets in three matches since his return from injury."I knew I'd come back strongly -- I'm the same Courtois, or even better," said the goalkeeper.Alaves, who have enjoyed a strong season and are safely ensconced in mid-table, were dismantled with consummate ease by Madrid. Coach Luis Garcia Plaza lamented, "Every time a small team comes here, it's a torment."

Girona's aspirations of securing the second spot behind La Liga champions Real Madrid suffered a setback on Friday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Alaves. The match witnessed a dramatic late equalizer from Alaves' Jon Guridi in the ninth minute of added time.The match at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria began with a quick start for Girona, with Eric Garcia scoring in just the fourth minute. However, Alaves responded swiftly, with Guridi equalizing eight minutes later. Artem Dovbyk, the league's leading goalscorer with 20 goals, assisted Yangel Herrera for what seemed to be the winning goal just before halftime.As the game entered its final stages, Alaves refused to give up. In the dying moments of added time, Guridi struck again, securing a share of the spoils for the home team. The result leaves Girona with 75 points, 12 behind Real Madrid and just two points ahead of Barcelona.Barcelona, who have a game in hand, can move into second place if they defeat Real Sociedad on Monday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, fresh from their Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich, will face relegation-threatened Granada on Saturday.Granada, currently second from bottom, could face relegation before the match against Real Madrid if Real Mallorca, who are 17th, defeat Las Palmas earlier in the day.