It may not have been a match for the ages, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. After a long wait, Jude Bellingham finally found himself before the south end with his arms wide open, listening to the crowd's singing of Hey Jude. Following a shoulder injury and questions about his position, he scored his first goal of the campaign, ultimately securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over a Juventus side that put up a fight. “It was a tough battle,” commented the Belgian goalkeeper.
Decisive Stops Secure the Win
The shot-stopper knew better than anyone, having to rescue a clear chance from Dušan Vlahović and produce another crucial save from the French midfielder in the dying moments. The win leaves Madrid on a strong tally and Igor Tudor’s team outside the qualifying spots. After a game with more shots than fluid football, the visiting coach may reflect on a promising opening, with those opportunities representing a missed chance around the closing stages; their current situation though makes for concerning reading.
“A side from Italy in trouble is doubly threatening,” Xabi Alonso had remarked beforehand.
Juventus, which were without a victory since last month, posed Madrid issues at the beginning and again near the end. Madrid commanded the ball, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the break, especially with the French defender running and the striker combining, firing off a dozen attempts compared to the home side's 27.
Promising Start for Visitors
They had started well, certainly. Within three minutes, they believed they were ahead, Vlahović a little unlucky to be penalized for pulling Éder Militão. Shortly after, the Madrid defender had to intervene ahead of him when the wing-back dashed clear on the right. And soon after, the American midfielder's effort was pushed past the post.
Next, from the defender's drive, was a more impressive stop. Fifteen minutes had gone. However, quickly the Italians' momentum had faded as well. Madrid took control. Largely it was all a bit functional, though, and the top chances fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who wouldn’t be the coach's preferred forward. A couple were headed over, a third took a deflection; an additional headed opportunity was wasted by the center-back.
Guler Shines
The best moments were provided by Arda Güler. Güler, whose football was the nearest thing there was to fluidity, was constantly in the action. His neat stop and turn saw him clip to the far post for the Englishman.
Little was seen of Kylian Mbappé early on, but when he finally emerged it was the closest Madrid came to a goal. First his attempt was stopped by the Juventus keeper, who would produce several stops. Next some lovely fast footwork saw him evade the full-back twice until he went down to the turf and laid off to his teammate to blast over.
Late Tension
Militão threw himself to halt the runner at the outset of the second half, and then came the regulation Courtois rescue when suddenly the attacker was away. The “inadvertent pass” had been quite something, with the defender cutting out a ball inside his own area and the ball bouncing from the inside of his boot right through the middle to beyond the halfway line. Racing after it, huge space opening, the striker raced his marker, holding him off and advancing into the box where the keeper saved.
Then the usual pattern happened, the stop made good by the score that comes after it. A flash from the Brazilian winger created it, working himself enough room amid four men to unleash a low, left-footed shot which struck the post. Positioned in that striker’s role was Bellingham. The breakthrough found, Madrid should have finished it, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and Fede Valverde seeing his volley deflected by Gatti. Subsequently Di Gregorio made a brilliant double stop from the forward and Brahim Díaz.
It was not the only one: as the game was drawing to a close, Raúl Asencio had to make a stunning sliding block as Madrid were exposed and at the mercy of Loïs Openda unmarked in the area. Finally in the final seconds the Madrid keeper dived to deny the midfielder, his work done. For the visitors, there was no route to a comeback, Bellingham’s first of the season the final of the encounter.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve found the net, a period out and dreaming of that instant, returning in the Champions League and against a big team. To score a winner, here at home, it’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable, really good. To perform was important and to score the winning goal helps the team greatly.”
Regarding his performance, he continued: “I didn’t think last year was a disaster, still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I understand the perception was that it was worse. But I was a contributor to that, how we underperformed last year, there were nonetheless positive spells but not the level I aim to play at, not the caliber like the debut season. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a different coach, he’s got that shape, how we intend to play…. You have to learn from it.”
