67 days later: Bellingham sharpens the Real Madrid knife
After nearly 10 weeks without a start, Jude Bellingham is set to return to the lineup in a game that serves as a springboard toward the Bayern showdown.
“He’s going to help us a lot in Munich,” Arbeloa said. And against Mallorca as well. Today, Bellingham will be in the starting lineup. The first leg against Bayern was his last test run. His final appearance off the bench since returning. It has been a process shaped by patience and caution, but it is now coming to an end. Because of the Englishman’s physical condition, his stature and importance, and also because of his performances.
“He’s capable of escaping the kind of aggressive pressure Bayern apply, carrying the ball and driving past opponents,” the coach said after a 2-1 defeat that felt far narrower than it should have. Madrid came away with reasons for hope, reasons to believe in a comeback. And one of the strongest was the player from Stourbridge. His arrival and his connection to the game offered encouragement. Bellingham is stepping back into the spotlight, with Bayern on the horizon and Girona as ground zero.
He returned against Atlético, added to his tally of minutes against Mallorca and impressed against Bayern: 16, 31 and 28 minutes, respectively. But the clash with the Bavarian giant was his real proving ground. The kind of performance that tells the truth. Sharp and intelligent. Every aerial duel was his, and he completed every dribble he attempted. On the ball, he posted a 94% passing accuracy rate. At Valdebebas, that cocktail is seen as decisive. Enough for him to start again, 67 days after that setback against Rayo.
Against his favorite opponent
Because of his physical condition, because of merit, and because of history. Girona is Jude Bellingham’s favorite opponent. He has scored four goals in four games against them – the same number he has against Barcelona and Sevilla, but with far greater efficiency: nine games against Barça, eight against Sevilla. Against Girona’s squad, he has consistently shown his best version. The version Arbeloa longs for and has never tried to hide.
“If I could give an arm for Jude to be healthy, I would. He’s one of the best players in the world,” Arbeloa said in February. He also acknowledged an obvious truth after the derby: “I’ll have to find a place for him.” That is the heart of the matter – where to use him, and also at whose expense. In Bellingham’s absence, Thiago Pitarch has broken through and Arda Güler has settled in. Valverde is the “Juanito of the 21st century,” and the other midfield spot belongs to a holding player – Tchouaméni, though he will not be at the Allianz. That is Arbeloa’s puzzle. But within that “blessed problem,” Bellingham is untouchable. Today and in Munich as well.
And a return... to normality
Against Bayern, he flirted with a more creative version of himself. More midfielder, less hammer. But beyond positional debates, he showed bite and intent. The intent to get back to normal after an interrupted season. First came the shoulder. The delayed operation that finally took place after the Club World Cup. He missed four games, but the bigger burden was his nonexistent preseason. In September he removed the brace, but he was not yet free. That took longer.
He had flashes. Spells when the numbers, more than the sensations, were on his side. Especially between late October and December. His standout display in the league Clásico, five of his six goals this season, and his four assists. But after that oasis, and a couple of months spent drifting, another blow knocked him off course. Against Rayo, he suffered a tear in the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg. Another nine games out. Thirteen on the sidelines in total. But Jude is back on the field, and back in touch with his past. Against Bayern he came out of hiding. Against Girona, 67 days later, he returns to his natural habitat. And he is sharpening the knife.
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