Real Madrid beat Juventus: Bellingham's revival

At the Bernabeu, Real Madrid struggled to overcome Juventus with a goal from Jude Bellingham, who revived just before El Clasico.

1. Real Madrid broke Juventus's deadlock with an old-fashioned goal. Old-fashioned but actually quite recent, even if it feels like a long time ago.

Vinicius created space in the penalty area with continuous dribbling, in the middle of the circle, alone, independently, eliminating the opposing defenders and then finishing against the post.

Real Madrid won a thrilling victory. Photo: RMCF

Jude Bellingham was punctual, just like the first days he arrived in Madrid to work with Carlo Ancelotti, when he often rescued the team just seconds before the final whistle.

Between Vinicius' miracle, the English midfielder's remarkable return and Thibaut Courtois' saves, Real Madrid won their third consecutive Champions League .

This latest victory came against a disciplined Juventus side that ended the game with pressure on goalkeeper Courtois.

The white team played heavily and lacked ideas, but still overcame the challenge to enter the El Clasico this weekend with a perfect record in the European Cup and still leading La Liga.

2. It was another night of hard work against a fortress. A game of patience, passing the ball from one wing to the other, waiting for the first cracks to appear from the opponent's wavering and fatigue.

Juventus have retained their iconic solidity, despite being in the midst of a significant crisis.

They arrived at the Bernabeu on a six-game winless run (five draws, one defeat to Cesc Fabregas’s Como). But the Old Lady still had a resilient spirit, energised by coach Tudor, who constantly moved close to the touchline, almost ready to step onto the pitch to fight with his players.

Juventus defended extremely tightly, confining their formation to just 20 meters or even less, while Real Madrid rolled the ball around that wall and asked themselves: “Where is the entrance?”.

Bellingham scored the only goal. Photo: EFE

Tchouameni passed the ball back and forth, finding Guler and Bellingham up front, Vinicius and Brahim on the wings. Amid them was a seemingly unsolvable defensive maze.

Tudor's team were unhurried, playing slowly, but always focused on the right, where Kalulu was ready to break free. If he won the ball, that was the main counter-attack.

From there, they created the first situations that surprised Real Madrid. Raul Asencio intervened twice in the penalty area to prevent counter-attacks. Moreover, Courtois continuously had to show his talent, blocking shots from McKennie and Gatti.

At the beginning of the second half, Vlahovic sprinted from home, leaving Militao behind and facing Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper made a spectacular save, preventing Real from conceding a clear goal.

At the other end of the pitch, Real Madrid were searching for the light. Until Vinicius had a moment of both desperation and genius. He danced and shot against the post, allowing Bellingham to score his first goal of the season.

3. “Jude played very well against Getafe. This game was much more difficult because there was no space, but Bellingham is one of the most complete players in the world . He has the desire to score goals,” Xabi Alonso praised.

Courtois beat Vlahovic in a one-on-one. Photo: Diario AS

This time Kylian Mbappe failed to find the net – ending an 11-game scoring streak. Bellingham, in typical style, was the match-winner.

“That’s what I like about these types of players. Vini creates the ball, and Jude is always ready,” said Courtois. The former Chelsea goalkeeper was also a hero with four important saves, in his 300th appearance for “Los Blancos”.

Over the past month, Real Madrid's starting line-up has largely revolved around Jude Bellingham, whether he's present or absent.

Against Juventus, Bellingham returned to the starting lineup, playing in the attacking role. Xabi Alonso arranged the rest of the team according to Jude's position. Arda Guler had to move away from his familiar role from the beginning of the season.

“Bellingham has the quality to get involved in the build-up play and the determination to be there in the end,” Xabi analyzed. “He is very versatile, one of the most complete players in the world.”

The Englishman disappointed in the Madrid derby. However, he is now expected to shine when facing Barca.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/real-madrid-ha-juventus-1-0-bellingham-san-sang-cho-el-clasico-2455506.html