Jude Bellingham a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing display by Real Madrid against Arsenal | OneFootball

It was a disappointing display from Real Madrid as the 15-time champions failed to turn up in the quarter-final 1st leg against Arsenal and succumbed to a heavy 3-0 defeat at the Emirates.

Los Blancos headed to North London, after enduring a grueling tie against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16. Arsenal, on the other hand, steamrolled passed PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate.

Instead of going with a traditional 4-3-3 or a 4-3-3 with an attacking midfielder like he has most seasons, Carlo Ancelotti opted for a more defensive 4-4-2 for this game in England, a decision that might have been made to provide more defensive coverage for David Alaba at the left back position.

In a stacked midfield, Jude Bellingham’s presence was inevitable, as the Englishman was coming into the match being the team’s most in-form player after Kylian Mbappe.

The Englishman had scored twice and assisted once in the last three matches and had also netted the winner against Manchester City in the 1st leg of the play-offs. So, he may have known a thing or two about performing against English clubs.

He was easily Madrid’s best player in the 1st half, with those 45 minutes ending 0-0. The next 45 promised to be an even better one – perhaps with a result that could give either side a massive advantage in the 2nd leg.

This time around, it was Arsenal, who shocked Europe in the 2nd half, with Jude’s counterpart and international teammate Declan Rice scoring two breathtaking free-kicks and Mikel Merino scoring from just inside the box.

However, the 21-year-old was one of the few bright spots in what was a disappointing display by Ancelotti’s men.

According to Sofascore statistics, he recorded 2 key passes, with one of those key passes being to Mbappe. Bellingham had laid an accurate through ball to the striker but the Frenchman was unable to get a good shot at goal, allowing David Raya to make an easy save.

Moreover, despite making just 30 passes, he was accurate with 90% of them. Defensively, Jude made a clearance off the line, and an interception and tackle each. However, only Luka Modric (4/6) and Eduardo Camavinga (6/10) were good at winning duels because Bellingham won just 4 out of 14.

Still, he was one of the rare bright spots for Real Madrid as he returned to his native country. After the game, he also showed his leadership skills as he let everyone know that it wasn’t over, while also commenting on the team’s performance and how this had been happening all season.

Next week, the Merengues will hope the Santiago Bernabeu turns up and Jude Bellingham would be eager to be on the forefront of a miraculous comeback and script something for the history books.