For months, almost everything at Real Madrid revolved around Jude Bellingham. That has changed, which probably suits the 20-year-old just fine
One of the biggest stories of the European club season so far has 14 letters: Jude Bellingham. The 20-year-old new signing is largely responsible for the fact that Real Madrid have taken the lead in La Liga and won all six group games in the Champions League, despite the strong surprise team FC Girona.
The Whites often played quite well, sometimes not so well, but won game after game. Because Bellingham, actually a midfielder, scored and scored in the manner of a top striker missing from the squad – sometimes late, almost always hugely important. The absolute difference-maker at the most famous soccer club in the world.
Last week, Real won the Supercopa with five goals in the semi-final against Atletico and four in the final against FC Barcelona – but Bellingham didn’t score a single one of those nine goals. What’s going on there?
One might assume that the still very young top performer is understandably going through the trough of his first dip in form. Indeed, before Sunday night’s 4-1 win in the Clasico, he had gone three consecutive appearances without scoring for the first time in a Real shirt.
But Bellingham also shone against his arch-rivals without scoring, opening the scoring early on with a dream pass through Vinicius Junior and otherwise excelling with his passing, physicality and numerous high ball wins that made an even clearer result possible. In recent weeks, the actual midfielder – on the left side of midfield in a 4-2-2-2 – has also played like one
This slightly altered effective range is one factor in the slightly altered perception of the Royals’ success. Another is the fact that it’s not necessarily Bellingham who has slowed down, but rather his teammates have gotten stronger in large numbers. Antonio Rüdiger is shining, captain Dani Carvajal is shining, Brahim Diaz is shining, even substitute goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is shining. And then there’s the recovered Vinicius Junior, who scored a treble in the Clasico.
Unlike just a few months ago, Jude Bellingham is currently sharing the burden of performance at the Spanish record champions. However, he also has to share the headlines – due to the strength of form of some of his colleagues, the difference player is now just one of many. That should suit him just fine. On Sunday evening, Bellingham won his first title as a Real player
