Aged just 20, Jude Bellingham continues to amaze. The teenage star turned Champions League regular turned World Cup scorer has cemented his status as one of the greatest players in contemporary world football with a sensational second-half performance in his first El Clásico appearance for Real Madrid against Barcelona.
The England international bagged a brace for Madrid to seal a 2-1 win over the Barça and move Los Blancos to the top of La Liga on Saturday afternoon. Since moving to Spain in summer the midfielder has scored 13 goals from 13 games and notched three assists.
His first of the afternoon was a memorable effort from 25 yards to pull Real level, before clinching three points by turning home Dani Carvajal’s cross from close range.
In doing so he became the first player to score twice in their first Clásico this century.
Bellingham’s name was on everyone’s lips in the build-up to the clash after he sustained a knock midweek against Braga. He confirmed his availability on Friday and then surpassed the expectations on his young shoulders with a second-half performance befitting of the new Real talisman.
Barcelona took a sixth-minute lead in the meeting at Montjuic when İlkay Gundogan claimed his first goal since signing, capitalising on a poor start from the visitors. But a single goal wasn’t enough in this well-matched game, and Bellingham wrote his name into Clásico history when he collected a clearance in space 25 yards out, turned towards goal, took a touch, and launched past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to pull his side level.
The seconds ticked away as the hotly anticipated game seemed destined for a draw, but Bellingham, playing high up the pitch, clinched victory in the 92 nd -minute by volleying from a few yards out to continue his remarkable start to life in the Spanish capital.
Unsurprisingly, social media erupted with praise for the young English prodigy.
However you word it, one thing’s for sure: months after signing and before he can legally rent a car, Jude Bellingham is a Galáctico for the ages.
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