Ancelotti: 'Bellingham is a gift to football'

Spain manager Carlo Ancelotti praised Jude Bellingham after the English midfielder scored a goal in the 4-2 Champions League win against Napoli and set another record.

"It's difficult to compare Bellingham to others," Ancelotti said after the match at the Bernabeu. "It's true that Bellingham surprises you in every game. He's a gift to football. Obviously, the coaching staff, the players, and the Real Madrid fans love Bellingham, but I think the football world in general is delighted to see a player like him."

The Italian coach praised Bellingham's ability to quickly adapt to a new environment, and believed his biggest weakness was communication. "Bellingham just needs to improve his Spanish; nobody's perfect!" Ancelotti said.

Coach Ancelotti directs the team during Real Madrid's 4-2 victory over Napoli in the fifth matchday of Group C of the Champions League at the Bernabeu on November 29. Photo: Reuters

Last weekend, Bellingham scored a goal in Real Madrid's 3-0 win against Cadiz in La Liga's 14th round, reaching 14 goals in 15 games since the start of the season, including 11 La Liga goals and three Champions League goals. The English midfielder made history as the player with the most goals in his first 15 games for Real Madrid, surpassing the record of 13 goals held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Pruden Sanchez.

Yesterday, Bellingham continued his record-breaking streak with a diagonal header against Napoli in the fifth matchday of Group C of the Champions League. Bellingham became the fourth player to reach 10 goals in the Champions League before the age of 21, alongside Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Karim Benzema, and the first English player to achieve this feat.

Bellingham also became the first player to score in all four of his first Champions League appearances for Real Madrid, surpassing Christian Karembeu's record of scoring in his first three games in 1998. Before yesterday's match against Napoli, the English midfielder contributed one goal each in the 2-1 win away at Braga, the 3-2 win away at Napoli, and the 1-0 win against Union Berlin. He did not play in the previous 3-0 win against Braga at the Bernabeu.

Bellingham has the opportunity to break another milestone held by legend Raul. The former striker, who played for the club from 1994-2010, is currently the only Real Madrid player under 21 to have scored more goals than Bellingham in a single Champions League season, with six goals in the 1995-1996 season.

Bellingham's header put Real Madrid 2-1 up in their 4-2 win against Napoli. Photo: realmadrid.com

Another young Real Madrid player who shone against Napoli was Nico Paz. The Argentinian midfielder came on as a substitute for Brahim Diaz in the 65th minute when the score was 2-2 and needed less than 20 minutes to make a difference. In the 84th minute, receiving the ball from Antonio Rudiger, the 19-year-old Argentinian midfielder turned to evade his Napoli defender and fired a left-footed shot from about 25 meters into the net.

At 19 years and 82 days old, Nico Paz is the second youngest Argentinian player to score in Champions League history. The previous record holder was the legendary Lionel Messi, who scored in Barcelona's 5-0 victory over Panathikos at Camp Nou on November 2, 2005, at the age of 18 years and 131 days.

"This is a special night for Paz and he is the future of Real," Ancelotti praised, emphasizing that the Argentine midfielder possesses all the necessary qualities of a Real Madrid player. Paz began his career as a central defender, but can now play in any attacking position after progressing through Real Madrid's youth teams.

Meanwhile, Rodrygo extended his impressive run with a curling shot into the far corner to equalize 1-1 against Napoli. The Brazilian forward has been involved in 11 goals, including seven and four assists, in his last seven games for Real Madrid across all competitions. This is a stark contrast to the beginning of the season, when he only contributed one goal and one assist in 12 games.

Rodrygo equalized for Real Madrid in the 11th minute, making it 1-1. Photo: realmadrid.com

"Rodrygo never gives up, and his first goal after a goalless streak was the impetus for him to get back to what he does best, which is scoring goals. Rodrygo is top-class, so it was only a matter of time," Ancelotti stated.

The 4-2 victory gave Real Madrid a perfect 15 points and secured them the top spot in the group, qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 with one match to spare. On December 2nd, the royal club will play at home against Granada in round 15 of La Liga.

Hong Duy

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