Bellingham equals Ronaldo record as remarkable Real Madrid start continues
Jude Bellingham made himself an even bigger Real Madrid hero with a late winner against Celta Vigo on Friday night.
The England international, 20, nodded in nine minutes from time to continue Real's perfect start to the season. He's now scored four goals in his first three LaLiga outings, becoming the first player to achieve that feat for Real since Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2009.
What makes Bellingham's achievement more remarkable is that all of Real's opening games have been away from the Bernabeu. Renovation is ongoing on the famous stadium, with the midfielder due to make his home debut against Getafe next Saturday.
Real signed Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in an £88.5million deal earlier this summer after beating off competition from most of Europe's top clubs, including Liverpool. "Love a late winner, 3/3," tweeted Bellingham. "Time to see my new home."
Bellingham, who was not known for his goals in Germany, scored on his LaLiga debut against Athletic Bilbao, helping Real win 2-0. He then bagged his first ever brace for the Spanish giants to help them recover from a goal down against Almeria, winning 3-1.
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Bellingham was deployed as a false nine against Celta Vigo, with Carlo Ancelotti making the most of his attacking talents. Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni played in deeper roles, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo on the wing.
The Englishman is surprisingly filling the void left by Karim Benzema following his summer move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad. "It's crazy, I don't know what to say," said Real defender David Alaba after Bellingham's latest heroics. "I'm speechless."
Ancelotti is also delighted with Bellingham. "This wasn't a victory purely based on quality, but rather on commitment," the Real boss told reporters after the game. "Bellingham is doing very well, he keeps scoring and contributing to the team."
Cristiano Ronaldo also made a rapid start to his Real Madrid career (Victor Fraile/Corbis via Getty Images)Do you think Jude Bellingham will continue playing as a false nine? Let us know in the comments below!
Bellingham's superb form in Spain is the latest chapter in his remarkable career. The youngster came through the ranks at Birmingham City and made 41 Championship appearances during the 2019/20 campaign to be named as the EFL's Young Player of the Season.
Everyone knew Bellingham was special then, as Manchester United tried to sign him. Yet it's incredible to think what he's achieved since his breakthrough in the West Midlands. He made a bold decision in July 2020 by joining Dortmund as a teenager.
Bellingham enjoyed three brilliant years in Germany, winning the German Cup and coming agonisingly close to the Bundesliga title - missing out on the final day of last season. Yet he seems destined to win plenty of silverware at club and probably international level.
It's unclear whether Bellingham will continue playing in such an advanced role. Ancelotti added: "Goals aren't his biggest quality but he's doing well. He is good off the ball, he's intelligent and his timing is good. He's got a lot of ability on the edge of the area."
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