MADRID, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Second-half strikes by Federico Valverde, Brahim Diaz and Endrick gave feeble Real Madrid an unconvincing 3-0 win over lowly Real Valladolid on Sunday, earning the defending champions their first win of the LaLiga season.

Although Real dominated possession, they struggled to breach Valladolid’s ultra-defensive approach until breaking the deadlock from a free kick in the 50th minute, with Valverde slotting in a thunderous strike from the edge of the box.

Late strikes by substitutes Diaz, in the 88th minute, and Endrick, six minutes deep in added time, secured Real a win that failed to tell the full story of their lacklustre performance.

Real Madrid are third in the LaLiga standings with four points from two games, two points behind leaders Barcelona and Celta Vigo. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Pritha Sarkar)