Jude Bellingham Has a Big Unfinished Business Against Atlético, Not Against Barça

The Madrid Derby is a very important match in the calendar of the teams involved. Beyond the rivalry, which always envelops this encounter in an atmosphere of tension and pressure, the leadership of LaLiga is at stake this time. The opportunity to increase the distance over Atlético de Madrid to four points can't be wasted, settling once again in the top position of the national championship.

One of the players who will be key to aiming for the three points is Jude Bellingham. The English footballer, absent from the Copa del Rey quarter-final match against Leganés, returns to training and the squad for this high-caliber clash. His goal, besides giving his all to his teammates, is to break a particular bad streak.

Because Jude Bellingham's records in the Madrid Derbies are as unusual as they are striking. Real Madrid's irregular performance against the colchonero entity in the last five matches yields surprising statistics: one win, two draws, two losses. Likewise, Jude Bellingham has barely provided one assist to Joselu during the Copa del Rey round of 16 match of the 23/24 season.

This Saturday's Madrid Derby is a pending account for Jude Bellingham with a team against which he has never been able to shine. In most cases, he has been well-marked by Diego Pablo Simeone's pupils, while Carlo Ancelotti's tactical arrangements haven't favored good performance.

Striking Differences

This unusual situation regarding Atlético de Madrid has not occurred with FC Barcelona. Rather the opposite: the 'Pride of Birmingham' has been key in the three victories that the white club has achieved since he joined the merengue team in the summer of 2023. His brace at Montjuïc to win the match in stoppage time, in addition to the goal scored at Santiago Bernabéu last season, are the best examples of this distinctive performance.

The Madrid Derby that Jude Bellingham will play today, the sixth of his career as a professional player, offers an excellent opportunity to vindicate himself. While it is true that this year he is not enjoying the same clarity in front of the opposing goal, he remains one of the top scorers of the merengue team.

His brutal form, practically managing all the records of the first white team's game, has reestablished him as a fixture in Carlo Ancelotti's starting eleven. The Reggiolo coach needs the British '5' in full form: that's why he would have let him rest in the Copa del Rey quarter-final match against Leganés.

Jude Bellingham will be one of Real Madrid's biggest references tonight on Santiago Bernabéu field. The tactical plan of the white club, still unknown, will surely involve handing him the keys to the team... as has happened on more than one occasion since the English attacking midfielder joined the Madrid locker room a year and a half ago.