Real Madrid weren't supposed to still be this good after losing their top scorer this summer and being decimated by injuries.
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But in came Jude Bellingham, and the England midfielder has kept Madrid on course to compete for titles this season.
Madrid are leading the Spanish league and are the only team other than Manchester City to have won all five of their games in the Champions League.
The key to the ongoing success of the 14-time European Cup winners can be boiled down to the depth and overall talent of their squad, and the incredible impact that Bellingham has made since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham led Madrid to another commanding victory on Wednesday when he scored his team-high 15th goal of the season to help them beat Italian champs Napoli 4-2 and remain perfect in the Champions League group stage.
Madrid are also leading the title fight in Spain, where they are in first place, level on points with Girona before hosting the relegation-threatened Granada on Saturday.
"He's been a wonderful signing," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said about Bellingham on Wednesday, before he dug deep to find a supposed flaw in his new star. "He needs to improve his Spanish, because like I have said, nobody's perfect."
Madrid lost the pillars of their attack and defence when Karim Benzema, their top scorer for the five previous seasons, was lured with other European players to Saudi Arabia in June and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tore a knee ligament just before the season kicked off in August.
Then came more season-threatening injuries. Eder Militao, the team's best central defender, ruptured his ACL in the season opener, and Eduardo Camavinga, Madrid's most versatile midfielder, tore a knee ligament while training with France this month.
Vinicius Junior also went down during the most recent international break when he tore a leg muscle with Brazil, an injury that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the year.
Toss in minor injuries to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who came in to replace Courtois, veteran leader Luka Modric, and starting holding midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, and it seems Madrid should have struggled against Napoli.
Instead, they rolled over the Italians just like most of their rivals this campaign. Their only loss this season came at Atletico Madrid in La Liga in September.
Bellingham leads the Spanish league with 11 goals, two more than Atletico's Antoine Griezmann.
Madrid also got a boost recently from Rodrygo. The Brazil forward is on a four-game scoring streak, during which he has netted six goals as he fills the void left by injured countryman Vinicius.
"We're all playing well. We're scoring a lot of goals and defending well too. I think we're at our best at the moment," Rodrygo said after scoring in the win over Napoli.
Rodrygo finished Wednesday's game with cramps but he said he should be fine for the game against 19th-placed Granada.
Ancelotti said that he hopes to have Modric back for a visit to Real Betis the following round.
Barcelona host Atletico on Sunday with third place on the line and the losers in danger of falling behind in the title chase.
The two are tied at four points behind Madrid and Girona, who host Valencia on Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
