Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham praise Real Madrid teammate after 3-0 win over Valladolid

Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior and midfielder Jude Bellingham commended teammate Fede Valverde for his performance in the 3-0 La Liga home win over Real Valladolid on Sunday (August 25).

After a goalless first half at the Santiago Bernabeu, Valverde broke the deadlock five minutes after the break from a set-piece, and there would be no looking back from there for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Although new signing Kylian Mbappe failed to score in his second straight La Liga game, Brahim Diaz made the game safe in the 88th minute. Another new signing, Endrick, then made a goalscoring debut, scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Los Blancos registered their first league win of the season.

Vinicius and Bellingham endured quiet outings against Valladolid but were all praise for Valverde. The Uruguayan posted 'at home' (en casa) on Instagram.

Vinicius responded to the post (as translated from Spanish):

"Too easy for you"

Bellingham commented:

"SHOOT FEDE!!!"

Having opened their La Liga title defence with a 1-1 draw at Mallorca last week, Los Blancos move to within two points off leaders Barcelona after two matchdays. They next take on Las Palmas away on Thursday (August 29).

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Real Madrid boss explains Kylian Mbappe's form

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer after a prolific seven-season stint at PSG, where he left as their top-scorer with 256 goals. However, the 25-year-old has had a slow start to life in the Spanish capital.

After making a goalscoring debut in the 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta in Warsaw, Mbappe has gone scoreless in his first two La Liga games. However, Ancelotti isn't too worried about the Frenchman's form (as per Managing Madrid):

“I put pressure on him for nothing. They (the subs) are ready, they take advantage of the minutes I give them. It is always complicated, like Lucas Vazquez, who is not in the line-ups, but he doesn’t stop training. It makes me a little sad, but it is my responsibility. I have to choose those who start.

"Especially at the start of the season, with the heat, the players get tired. It has never happened in 40 years, I have to choose the freshest players on the pitch. The players have to have more responsibilities on the pitch, I have already spoken to them about it.”

Mbappe started for the second straight league outing before being replaced by debutant Endrick, who would score within a few minutes of coming on.