Jude Bellingham’s reaction when it kicked off during his first Real Madrid vs Barcelona match
Jude Bellingham got his first taste of El Clasico on Saturday night, as Real Madrid and Barcelona faced off in Texas.
The 20-year-old, who joined Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund this summer in a deal worth an initial £88.5 million, started the match in a strong four-man midfield also containing Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde.
Bellingham was deployed by manager Carlo Ancelotti as the team’s most advanced midfielder, playing in behind forwards Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
It was Barcelona who secured a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembele, Fermin Lopez, and Ferran Torres.
However, the scoreline doesn’t quite tell the full story.
Real Madrid hit the woodwork five times during the match. Per BBC Sport, even Barcelona boss Xavi admitted: “The result is a bit misleading.”
He added: “We shouldn’t be overconfident. The result is very favourable but it doesn’t mean we played a super match.
“It was a very even match in which Madrid also had many chances. There are many things to improve.”
Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to level the scores after Dembele’s opener when they were awarded a 20th-minute penalty, but Vinicius Junior watched his spot-kick rebound back off the crossbar.