Real Madrid is experiencing a generational change. Karim Benzema left the club, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are gradually losing ground, and young people are taking the first roles. At the start of the season, Jude Bellingham turned out to be the main driving force of the team: he already has 13 goals in the championship and the Champions League. Among them is a winning double in El Clasico with Barcelona.
Bellingham joined the Los Blancos ranks this off-season. Despite his young age, the Briton arrived in undoubted star status. At the age of 17, Jude became the leader of Borussia Dortmund, played in the Champions League and made his debut in the England national team. And by the age of 20, he was considered one of the main talents of world football.
It is not surprising that the best clubs in the world fought for the Briton. But Bellingham himself wanted to go to Real Madrid and, as soon as the Madrid team made an offer, he rejected all other options. Borussia received more than 100 million euros, the Madrid team received a top player for years to come, and Jude fulfilled his dream by joining his favorite childhood club.
The last time Madrid paid more than 100 million was four years ago for Eden Hazard. That transfer turned out to be a monstrous failure. The Belgian also ended up in the dream club, but decided that the goal had been achieved and he could rest on his laurels. Four years of constant injuries and problems with excess weight left Hazard in such a deplorable state that at the end of his contract with Real Madrid, he simply ended his career.
But for Bellingham, the very fact of moving to Real Madrid is not the ultimate dream. The Briton is seeking to prove his right to wear the great club's jersey with the number five on the back, which he took in honor of Zinedine Zidane. Like Zidane, Jude began to bring victories to the team from the very first matches.
In the summer, there were fears that Real's attack would suffer a serious setback due to Benzema's departure. The Frenchman, who won the Ballon d'Or a year ago, was a key player for Los Blancos, and their lethal attack was largely built on his qualities.
Players of Karim's level can be counted on one hand, and none of them are currently for sale. There was a small chance of seeing Kylian Mbappe in Madrid, but the Frenchman himself cannot seem to understand what he wants. Then who should replace Benzema?
Carlo Ancelotti solved this problem and at the same time integrated Bellingham into the squad, revealing his best qualities. To do this, the Real Madrid coach switched to a diamond formation in the middle of the field, where Jude took the position of an attacking midfielder, and Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo became a pair of attackers.
This role suited the Englishman perfectly. On the one hand, he is less involved in defense and does not spend a lot of energy working from behind. On the other hand, he is free to move, since he does not need to organize the team’s attack. Kroos and Modric play the ball and choose the direction of attack, while Bellingham is busy playing up and finishing. The young midfielder can sharpen the game by bringing one of the forwards to strike, or he can shoot dangerously from distance. On Saturday, Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen learned this first-hand.
Bellingham is most important in flank attacks. Vinicius and Rodrigo open up well into free zones for through balls, but do not pose a serious threat when crossed. But they can lead defenders behind them, freeing up space for the tall and bouncy Briton. It was by finishing the pass from the flank that Bellingham brought the Madrid team victory in El Clasico.
Spain Football Championship28 October 2023 • starts at 17:15Finished
Real MadridSpain
07' • Ilkay Gundogan
69' • Jude Bellingham90' • Jude Bellingham (Luka Modric)
Benzema's departure could not but turn out to be a loss for Real, but Bellingham made the generational change for the club as painless as possible. Although Los Blancos will have to look for replacements for Kroos and Modric in the coming years when they decide to retire, the club already has a leader around whom they can build a team. It was definitely worth any millions spent.