Inconsistencies up front and vulnerabilities at the back led Real Madrid to have an underwhelming season under Carlo Ancelotti, where the Merengues were unable to win any of the three major trophies.
The midfield, on the other hand, somewhat held their ground and, to an extent, did way better than the attack and defence. One of the reasons was the presence of Jude Bellingham.
Wearing a shoulder brace for the entire duration of the season did not hinder his form, and he managed to give 100% in every match.
He is a player who seems to fit in almost any manager’s system, mainly because he offers an immense work rate and can dictate play from the midfield. It was perhaps certain that Jude would be a starter under Xabi Alonso as well.
Rightfully, it did. The 21-year-old had a decent game against Al-Hilal and played 84 minutes of that match. However, his display last night against CF Pachuca proved to be decisive, and why any manager would be lucky to have him.
Other than the thunderous left-footed shot of his, which ended up in the back of the net and opened the scoring, Bellingham recorded 2 key passes and had 50 touches in the hour he played, according to Sofascore statistics.
Moreover, the English midfielder also won all his ground duels (4/4), blocked 3 shots, and made a clearance to sum up an impressive outing in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Englishman stated in the post-match presser that he will be undergoing surgery for his shoulder after the Club World Cup and reportedly will be out for 3-4 months.
This can prove to be a major setback for Real Madrid as Jude has been a pivotal member of the squad since his arrival, and what he offers as a player, very few players in the world can offer that.
