Jude Bellingham Reflects on Real Madrid's Champions League Win
Jude Bellingham walked off the pitch with three points in his pocket and a frown still etched on his face.
Real Madrid had opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but the England midfielder made it clear the performance did not match the result.
“We struggled at times against a very strong team,” Bellingham admitted, speaking after the match. “They are deserving Italian champions, and there were moments when we made them suffer, especially on the counter-attacks, when we were passing the ball well.”
Madrid’s breaks did cut through Inter on several occasions, yet the scoreline never reflected that superiority. The same pattern, Bellingham pointed out, had already appeared in La Liga.
“Something similar happened against Real Betis at the end of last week, when we failed to take our chances,” he said.
This time, in Europe, the wastefulness kept the door open for Inter and turned what could have been a comfortable night into a tense finish. Bellingham did not spare himself in that assessment.
“We could have finished the match with an easier scoreline,” he said. “We had chances, myself included, but in the Champions League there are bound to be difficult moments.”
Madrid’s back line held for the most part, conceding just once, but Bellingham underlined how thin the margins are at this level.
“We conceded only one goal, and the defenders were excellent, but big teams find gaps in our defence. And Courtois was brilliant. Not everything was bad, but there is still room for improvement. The most important thing is the three points.”
Thibaut Courtois’ interventions underlined that point. So did Bellingham’s own frustration in front of goal.
“I thought I was going to score,” he admitted. “The first time, the goalkeeper suddenly appeared. The ball reached me and I said to myself: ‘It’s a goal.’ But he cleared it suddenly.”
The second chance hurt as well.
“The second time, I saw the ball a little late, and there were players in the middle, I tried to control it and struck it well. But once again, the goalkeeper saved it superbly.”
For a player who has already made a habit of deciding big nights, the feeling was raw.
“It’s frustrating, because it would have made things easier for us if I had scored, but it’s part of the game. On another day, these shots will go in.”
Madrid leave with an early statement win and a reminder that the Champions League rarely forgives waste. Bellingham clearly intends to make sure those “other days” arrive sooner rather than later.
