-Aatman Khedkar
Two sensational strikes from Jude Bellingham – surely the best footballer in the world right now – earned Real Madrid a priceless come-from-behind victory in the first El Clasico of the La Liga season. Playing at their adopted home in Montjuic, Barcelona had led early through Ilkay Gundogan, but it was Bellingham, who has now scored 13 times in his last 16 games for Real and England, that had the last word.
A hungry and passionate Barcelona side dominated the first half, with Real showing neither intensity nor ambition. As a coach, Carlo Ancelotti has made a career out of hanging on in games and then having his teams deliver hammer blows.
Gavi was tasked with marking Bellingham, and he did that brilliantly for the entire first half. A Madrid team that looked off the pace and tactically inept struggled to hold on to the ball and create any chances against a Barcelona side that were physically superior and mentally stronger in the first half.
Real Madrid’s defensive woes were on display as Gundogan capitalised on a defensive error by David Alaba, who has looked like a shadow of his past self this season. A simple finish gave Barcelona the lead, and with Real Madrid sloppy in possession, there was hardly any attacking threat. Rodrygo’s below-par season continued, and Vinicius Junior did little more than complain to the referee.
The second half had a similar pattern for the first 10 minutes, but the game turned on its head when Madrid sent on Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric and Joselu, all of which played significant roles in Madrid’s turn around.
The last 30 minutes of the game could have been labelled The Bellingham Show, as Madrid’s never-give-up attitude was showcased by a wonder strike from outside the box and a simple tap-in following another smart incisive run into the box. That arrived in injury time and ensured that Real left with all three points.
On the balance of play, Barcelona were the better side for much of the game. Xavi outsmarted Ancelotti in a tactical sense, but football deals in only one cold, hard currency – goals. A brilliant performance yet again by a player that has had a dreamlike start to his Real Madrid career proved too much for a Barcelona team that lacked the cutting edge that Robert Lewandowski tends to provide.
Bellingham’s heroics have opened up a four-point gap between the two bitter rivals, and a wounded Barcelona will also be wary of the threat posed by a rejuvenated Atletico Madrid. For now, though, they can console themselves with the thought that they lost to the best. The Ballon d’Or is surely destined for Lionel Messi next Monday night, but on the evidence provided by El Clasico, it’s only a matter of time before Bellingham becomes the first Englishman to win it since Michael Owen in 2001.