AJIBADE OLUSESAN 
Real Madrid have maintained a perfect start to their season thanks to the magic their new midfielder Jude Bellingham has consistently conjured, and Coach Carlo Ancelotti will need the Englishman to turn on the magic when they travel to Atletico Madrid for their biggest match so far this season.
Bellingham has surpassed all expectations since arriving at Real Madrid by scoring big goal after big goal to keep his team with a perfect six wins across all competitions. Bellingham has scored in all but one of his appearances with Madrid.
The 20-year-old made it six goals in his first six Los Blancos appearances when he netted a late winner against Union Berlin in the Champions League on Tuesday. He has registered five goals in his first five La Liga appearances, and he is now off the mark in Europe for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
The England international is on course to break his best-ever scoring season in professional football, which came during the 2022–23 campaign at Borussia Dortmund when he struck 14 times in all competitions. Bellingham has shown a knack for being where he needs to be to snatch last-gasp winners.
He was there to turn in a rebound and secure a 1-0 win over Union Berlin in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, after having scored a similar goal against Getafe in the Spanish league earlier this month. Coach Ancelotti has hailed his ward for always being at the right place at the right time, which is a testament to his incredible discipline and focus.
“This goal is similar to the one against Getafe, but you have to be there,” Ancelotti said about his new star’s goal against Berlin. “He’s smarter than others when attacking from the second line. He has this quality, and he’s making the most of it.”
Atletico Madrid legend and former captain Diego Godin is also in awe of the impact Bellingham has made since he joined Real last summer. “Bellingham has surprised me. He adapted so well and scored so many goals. The truth is that he has surprised me a lot,” he said in praise of the former Borussia Dortmund star.
Madrid top the Spanish league with a two-point lead over Barcelona and Girona. Athletic Bilbao is fourth, five points adrift. Needless to say, all eyes will once again be on Bellingham to see how he fares against Los Rojiblancos’ deep block and defensive style of play. If recent games are anything to go by, Ancelotti will hope to rely on him as the X-factor on the day.
