Jude Bellingham scored two brilliant goals in his El Clasico debut, helping Real Madrid come from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Stadium on saturday.
The England international scored two goals in the second half, including a stoppage-time winner, to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory. Bellingham’s performance was simply world-class, and he proved to be the decisive factor in the match.
The match was also uncomfortably commercialized by Spotify, and quieter than usual, but none of that could dampen the passion of the Barcelona players and fans. In the end, Real Madrid came away with a narrow victory, but Barcelona can be proud of their performance.
The team was decimated by injuries, forced to play in a makeshift formation, and had to host the match in an auxiliary stadium. Despite all this, they put up a valiant fight against their eternal rivals, who were at full strength and had a squad full of new-age superstars.
Real Madrid struggled in the first half, but Barcelona, despite being wounded, took an early lead and held it for over an hour.
Ilkay Gündoğan, Barcelona’s new midfield maestro, changed the face of the game in just six minutes of involvement in the Clásico.
Gündoğan chased down a weak intervention from Aurelien Tchouameni, powering through David Alaba’s indecision to put Barcelona ahead with a smooth finish.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, looked lost, unable to control the game despite having more men in midfield. Barcelona hit the post twice and were in the ascendancy, while Vinicius Junior grew increasingly frustrated.
Despite a valiant performance from FC Barcelona, Jude Bellingham was the difference in Saturday’s Clásico.
From 30 yards out, Bellingham unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike that flew past Marc-André Ter Stegen and into the top corner, leveling the match at 1-1.
Real Madrid’s quality shone through in the second half, propelled by the unstoppable Jude Bellingham.
Naturally, Jude Bellingham pounced in the 92nd minute of the most-watched domestic club soccer match in the world. With a floating ball looping into his path, he remained calm and collected, guiding it past Ter Stegen with ease. He barely broke stride or facial expression, sauntering over to the corner flag as if none of this was surprising to the magician who had conjured it.
Bellingham then sealed the victory for Real Madrid in the 255th Clásico, scoring his 13th goal in 13 games for the club. It was a classic Bellingham goal, a powerful and accurate strike from outside the box.
Jude Bellingham spread his arms wide, as he always does, to the crowd and the cameras, nodding his head as his teammates sprinted to join him. He showed zero emotion, only a businesslike stare, as the stunned Camp Nou stared back at him. With the help of his jubilant teammates, he found a smattering of Madrid fans in the upper deck, going mental, and restruck his iconic pose, which crystalized as the emblem of El Clásico for months, and perhaps years, to come.
Jude Bellingham has scored all 13 of his goals for Real Madrid from midfield, operating at the tip of a diamond formation. He has transformed and rescued the club time and again in just a few months. He has beaten Getafe and Union Berlin, deflated opponents with his ravenous pressing and calm passing, and scored well-timed, undetected goals from the penalty box. Barcelona is merely his latest victim.
But waiting in the wings was Jude Bellingham, La Liga’s leading scorer and a fan favorite at Real Madrid at just 20 years old. He has quickly become one of the best players in Spain, and on Saturday, he cemented his legendary status.
Jude Bellingham has starred in the English Championship at 16, bossed the German Bundesliga at 18, and wowed the world at the World Cup last winter at 19. He excels on every stage he graces, no matter how big.
Bellingham’s performance was simply outstanding. He was a constant threat to the Barcelona defense and his two goals were both world-class. He is quickly becoming one of the most exciting young players in the world.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti: “Bellingham was incredible today. He scored two brilliant goals and was a constant menace to the Barcelona defense. He is a very special player and I am delighted with his performance.”
Bellingham himself: “It is an amazing feeling to score two goals in my El Clasico debut. It is a dream come true for me. I am very grateful to my teammates for helping me to achieve this.”
Spanish football journalist Sid Lowe: “Bellingham is the best young player in the world right now. He is complete. He has everything. He is a goalscorer, he is a creator, he is a defender. He is the perfect player for Real Madrid.”
Former England international Gary Neville: “Bellingham is a generational talent. He is going to be one of the best players in the world for the next decade.”
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