Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Can Jude Bellingham make statement in El Clasico with English sub-plot
Bellingham’s start to the season was inevitably difficult after he underwent shoulder surgery in July due to a long-standing injury in 2023.
He missed 63 days of training and play, including five games at Los Blancos.
He was enthusiastically welcomed onto the pitch when he made his debut in late September and his return thrilled Madrid fans.
“Bellingham has nothing to prove on Sunday,” Real fan Carlos Campillo said. “He already does this with every match he plays and every assist he makes. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but himself.
Fellow fan Juan Antonio Lillo added: “This is not a decisive match for him. He needs to continue to step up and get a feel for the game. This is just one more step to get to the level he needs to be and sooner or later he will get there.”
Since his return, Bellingham has appeared in a further six matches in all competitions, gradually increasing his minutes and attempting to rediscover his best form.
But throughout most of this period his influence was limited; until his winning goal against Juventus in the Champions League this week reignited the Bernabeu’s belief, and perhaps his.
Speaking to US broadcaster CBS after scoring his first goal of the season, Bellingham said: “It’s been a long time since I’ve scored, I’ve been taking a lot of breaks and I’ve been dreaming of that moment against a big team in the Champions League, it’s a great feeling.”
“To score a win at home is incredible. I felt comfortable, it’s really good. It was important to play well and scoring the winning goal helps the team a lot.”
Bellingham shone in La Liga in his first season at the Bernabeu, scoring 19 goals, but his form dipped slightly in the 2024-25 season as Madrid finished the season without a major trophy.
“I didn’t think last year was a disaster,” he reflected. “[It was] Still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling is that it’s worse. But I was a part of it because we didn’t play that well last year.
“There were still good moments, but it’s not at the level I wanted to play at, not at the level it was in the first year. Now I’ve had shoulder surgery, a new coach, he’s in that shape, how we want to play.”
