Why does Jude Bellingham shine at Real Madrid?

 'Phenomenal' Jude Bellingham

At just 20 years old, in just two months, Jude Bellingham has shown the qualities to become the leader of Real Madrid.

Bellingham has a great influence on Real Madrid's playing style and achievements

Above all, Bellingham is a potential phenomenon ("Il Fenomeno" [phenomenon], or "El Fenomeno" in Spanish; the Italian press called him that after the match at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, according to legendary nickname Ronaldo de Lima).

Using "potential" is necessary, because the factor that turns an excellent player into a champion is always continuous performance. In this case, we have to wait at least until the end of the first season at Real Madrid, between La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

It can be said that Jude Bellingham is currently "surprising everyone", as Carlo Ancelotti said after the 3-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League group stage.

Fans certainly did not expect such an important impact as soon as he arrived in Madrid; His teammates saw him as new energy, but didn't think his integration would be that good.

Ancelotti, with his experience and keen eye, did not imagine that a young man would have such a profound impact on the team's playing style, and above all, have the qualities to immediately become a leader.

Yes, with Bellingham, Real Madrid leads La Liga and first place in Group C of the Champions League after 2 matches. Bellingham stands out more than Toni Kroos and Luka Modric - who he pushed to the bench, outperforming Vinicius (had a period of injury), Rodrygo and Valverde.

The 103 million euro transfer fee that Real Madrid paid to Dortmund for Bellingham has so far been a bargain. He is the decisive factor, the scorer and creator, integrating into the attacking style of play easily.

Normally, experts say that a player who changes clubs, changes competition systems, changes countries, needs at least a year to stabilize. In Bellingham, a few days and a few practice sessions are enough.

Comprehensive midfielder

Bellingham's statistics say many things: in La Liga, he played 7 matches and had 6 goals and 1 assist; In the Champions League, after 2 matches there are 2 goals and 2 assists.

But most of all, the way Jude played his role was impressive: his teammates always looked for him no matter what, supporting him with the ball when they were in trouble and, crucially, he never shied away from responsibility.

Bellingham always knows how to create space in narrow spaces

After parting ways with Karim Benzema, Ancelotti had to completely change the attack structure, from the 4-3-3 scheme that Real Madrid was familiar with since the time of Zinedine Zidane, now switching to 4-3-1-2. He pulled Rodrygo and Vinicius from the wings to the middle more.

Behind them, Carletto places Bellingham as a source of ideas. A modern, strong and technical attacking midfielder, skillful in playing in small spaces, reasonable in attacking spaces.

In Gazzetta dello Sport, when watching Real Madrid play Napoli, Cesare Prandelli - the coach who brought Italy to the final of EURO 2012 - explained that, in terms of physical and technical qualities, Bellingham reminds a bit of Frank Rijkaard. Excellent defender of Ajax, Milan and the Dutch team in the 1980s and first half of the 1990s.

However, Rijkaard, who led Barcelona to win the 2006 Champions League, is probably more of a central midfielder. He is also not as sharp as Bellingham in front of goal.

Some analyzes that Bellingham resembles Kevin De Bruyne. But compared to the Belgian player, he acts more continuously, is more present in the hot zone.

Bellingham has a comprehensive playing style

Bellingham is essentially the classic number 10 that modern football is lacking, someone who knows how to dribble, shoot, pass, and see the game a fraction of a second before everyone else.

At the age of 20, Ancelotti compared Jude's maturity on the field to that of a 30-year-old. He seemed born to become a star player. Bellingham is not afraid of anything and one important detail: he is aware of his own strength.

Of course, this quality does not make him conceited. On the contrary, it is this that always ensures Bellingham's desire to improve himself and adapt more to new tasks.

In other words, Jude is complete and the best midfielder on the planet at the moment. He inherits the excellent Modric, and is significantly filling the offensive gap left by Benzema. One day soon, Bellingham will be a symbol of victory at the Bernabeu.