20 August 2023 , 08:30
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Vinicius Jr believes Jude Bellingham can fill the void left by Karim Benzema as the Brazilian hailed the new Real Madrid star's impact.
Los Blancos came from behind to see off Almeria on Saturday night with Bellingham bagging a brace and Vinicius also getting in on the act. Madrid saw Benzema exit to take up a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia this summer, leaving a huge hole in their attack given the Frenchman's contributions.
Benzema is the current Ballon d'Or holder and was a crucial cog in the Real attack, which also allowed Vinicius to prosper. The Brazilian is now striking up an impressive partnership with Bellingham, a marquee summer signing, and is confident he can take up the mantle left by Benzema.
He told Real Madrid TV: "We have to keep going like that. Jude is always scoring goals. With me and all of the team helping, we'll have a lot of success this season... I hope it can be like my connection with Karim, which [gave us] a lot of goals and a lot of assists, and good football."
Bellingham himself has began life impressively in the Spanish capital following his switch from Borussia Dortmund. He's scored in both LaLiga games so far this term as he targets his single-season best goal tally of 14. Already the Englishman feels as though he's taken massive leaps forward, paying tributes to those around him.
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He said: "I think I'm 10-times better as a player than last season. I'm learning from these players. The level here is so high, I'm like a sponge taking it all in."
The midfielder also added on their comeback win: "I saw [Real Madrid comebacks] a lot of times on TV when I was a kid. I remember thinking 'they won't be able to do it' and in the end they did. Now I'm here and I'm seeing it. I never thought we were going to lose, I looked at the players' faces and there was no panic."
By the time add-ons are factored in Madrid could end up paying £115m for Bellingham, but the 20-year-old looks to be worth every penny at this early stage with Los Blancos successfully regenerating their midfield, which now features the likes of Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Carlo Ancelotti has said on Bellingham's impact: "It's about the player's maturity, and the personality he has. He was in Germany for three years. Those are the reasons why he's adapting so well to LaLiga and to our style of play. He's doing well."