Jude Bellingham sends Thomas Tuchel message as Real Madrid star ends goal drought
Jude Bellingham was Real Madrid's match winner as they downed Juventus in the Champions League with the midfielder producing the perfect response to his England snub
Jude Bellingham has produced the perfect response to his England snub by scoring the winning goal for Real Madrid as they downed Juventus in the Spanish capital.
The clash was a repeat of the European Cup finals from 1998 and 2017 and was settled by a close-range goal from the Englishman, who remains a talismanic figure for Los Blancos. Real relinquished their European crown last term, but have begun this year with three wins from three.
His strike at the Bernabeu was his first of the season and comes at a time when Bellingham is having to prove his worth to England boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of the World Cup in less than 12 months time.
The 22-year-old said on his recent challenges: "I've had shoulder surgery, dropped with the national team... It's nice to have that moment where you can come back and enjoy playing your football."
Bellingham's individual performance was crucial in Real keeping up their perfect record in the Champions League with head coach Xabi Alonso hailing the midfielder's competitive instinct and all round game.
READ MORE: Mo Salah leaves Florian Wirtz furious with actions in Liverpool win vs FrankfurtREAD MORE: Man Utd transfer target Carlos Baleba has 'private talks' in new developmentHe said: "Jude played a really complete game, over and above the goal. I really liked how he played against Getafe [on Sunday] and even more so today, plus his goal. He's giving such good sensations with how competitive he is and how he creates dangerous situations. I'm delighted for him. He's got the skill and the instincts to be at the business end of the pitch but he's a box-to-box player, too. He's one of the most complete players in the world."
The England boss has maintained that there is no personal issue between him and Bellingham and the decision to leave him out of the latest squad was because he wanted to keep the bulk of the squad together who had performed well in the September international break.
The Three Lions again won both games, leading to questions over whether Tuchel will again stick by that squad. The England boss and Bellingham have not met face-to-face since June, when the head coach was forced to apologise for saying his mother is sometimes "repulsed" by the Real star's antics on the pitch.
Bellingham has had to overcome a start to the season that has been disrupted by an injury he has been struggling with since 2023, when he dislocated his shoulder. Surgery on the issue meant he missed Real's pre-season and their opening five matches of the campaign. He then played sporadically under Alonso as he returned to fitness.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.