BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 28: Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring a goal … (+)
Jude Bellingham scores twice against Real Madrid classic Saturday’s victory helped the club maintain its position at the top of the table, four points ahead of rivals Barcelona.
Bellingham’s performance in the high-profile game, and his impressive start to the club, has prompted comparisons to one of Real Madrid’s all-time greats, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Englishman scored twice in the second half to seal a dramatic winner soon after.
Ilkay Gundogan gave Barcelona the lead inside six minutes, leaving Camp Nou fans hoping their side could prevent Real Madrid from climbing to the top of La Liga at the start of the season.
But Bellingham has other ideas and his heroics in this rivalry will further endear him to new fans in the Spanish capital.
His first goal was a brilliant strike from outside the penalty area and he later scored from close range near the penalty area.
The 20-year-old has now scored 13 goals in 13 games for Real Madrid, equaling Ronaldo who achieved the same record in 2009 in his first 13 games for the club.
No new Real Madrid signing could match the goalscoring spree Ronaldo started in his first game at the club from Manchester United – until Bellingham arrived and did the same thing this season.
“He’s incredible, always making a difference for us,” Real Madrid winger Vinicius said of Bellingham.
“The fans were used to Cristiano Ronaldo and now Jude is here with us.
“We have a group of young players who are always together on and off the field.
“I think that’s the unity of our team — we don’t stop guarding each other on the court — that makes us a good team that wants to win a lot of things.”
Bellingham is becoming a truly global star, with his performances for England and in high-profile games for his club making him one of the best players in football today.
He commented on some of his memories ahead of meeting Barcelona classicwatching games in England or in Germany while playing for his former club Borussia Dortmund.
“I always remember the celebrations and things like that and I remember when Ronaldo was at the Camp Nou he became ‘calm, calm’,” Bellingham told Spanish television channel TVE.
“Those things that stick in your mind, those iconic moments.”
He went on to create his own signature moment, which was likely to be the first of many given the way he started at the club.