Real Madrid’s new look raises big questions about Jude Bellingham’s role

Jude Bellingham may have been missing from the field against Valencia, but he was still at the center of the conversation. Real Madrid did not dazzle at Mestalla, yet they did not suffer either. More importantly, they did not look vulnerable in defense, a recurring issue in recent weeks.

The numbers tell the story. Thibaut Courtois did not make a single save because Madrid did not allow a shot on target. The only real scare came from Beltrán, whose effort drifted just wide of the post. For a team that had recently been bleeding chances, that represented a major shift.

Before this first game Bellingham has missed due to his latest injury, there was already quiet talk that Madrid might look more balanced without him. After the win over Valencia, that idea has gained traction.

Defensive stability, with context

Madrid looked solid and professional against Valencia. Still, it is too early to draw sweeping conclusions.

This season, Los Blancos have allowed zero shots on target in just three matches: the opener against Osasuna and, under Álvaro Arbeloa, against Levante and Valencia. Bellingham played in that first game.

At the same time, with Bellingham on the field during Arbeloa’s tenure, Madrid has endured defensive breakdowns. Monaco forced Courtois into six saves. Benfica tested him 12 times, with seven shots on target. Rayo Vallecano managed four, three of which required stops.

The contrast is difficult to ignore.

The return of muscle in midfield

Bellingham’s injury, combined with Arbeloa’s decision to turn to David Jiménez, allowed for the return of a high-energy, physically imposing midfield trio: Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. Ahead of them, Arda Güler operated with freedom, tasked with creativity and the final pass.

The plan took time to click but grew stronger as the game progressed.

Tchouaméni and Camavinga led the team in tackles won, with four and three respectively. Valverde recovered five balls, Tchouaméni four and Camavinga three. Surprisingly, Güler topped the entire match with eight recoveries. The midfield operated as a compact unit, keeping the lines tight and the team connected.

Arbeloa appears ready to stick with it.

Bellingham’s complicated fit

Bellingham has never been an easy player to slot into a rigid system at Real Madrid.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, he flourished. In his debut season, he delivered a stunning 23 goals and 13 assists. But that was a different Madrid. Kylian Mbappé was not yet in the squad, and Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo led the line, with Bellingham playing close to goal in a role tailored to his instincts.

Under Xabi Alonso, things were less stable. Bellingham was not a regular starter until deep into the campaign, breaking through around the derby at the Metropolitano, a 5-2 defeat that left him under scrutiny and may have marked the beginning of a strained dynamic with the coach. Alonso experimented with him in multiple roles, even off the right side, without consistently unlocking his best form.

Arbeloa had begun shaping a version of Bellingham that worked before the injury. His strongest performances under the current coach came against Monaco and especially Villarreal, where he enjoyed freedom in attack but had defensive responsibilities on the left in a 4-3-3 setup.

Fullbacks unleashed

The Tchouaméni-Valverde-Camavinga trio brings Madrid closer to Arbeloa’s ideal vision.

With Camavinga and Valverde covering both flanks, the fullbacks, Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are free to push high up the field. The team can press higher, recover possession closer to the opponent’s box and maintain tighter spacing between lines.

It is a more aggressive, vertically compact Madrid.

Bellingham or Güler?

There is one complication.

With the three-man midfield behind them and Vinícius and Mbappé up front, there is room for only one advanced playmaker. It is either Güler or Bellingham.

Their numbers are strikingly similar. Bellingham attempts a pass every 1.7 minutes with an 89 percent completion rate. Güler plays one every 1.5 minutes at 90 percent accuracy. Bellingham recovers a ball every 19 minutes. Güler does so every 18.

But there is a key difference.

Güler’s left foot has produced 12 assists this season, compared to four for Bellingham. He has also delivered 152 crosses into the box, including set pieces, while Bellingham has sent in just 13. That creative output is a major factor in the debate.

The next test

The upcoming showdown with Benfica and a resurgent Real Sociedad under Sebastian Matarazzo will offer a clearer measure of this revamped Madrid.

A midfield engine powered by Tchouaméni, Valverde and Camavinga, compact lines, high-flying fullbacks and a more advanced defensive block form the blueprint.

When Bellingham returns from injury, the real dilemma begins.

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