Real Madrid are enjoying an intense season, punctuated by victories and solid performances in the league. Some thought the team would falter without midfield stalwart Jude Bellingham. But the figures tell a surprising story. When the English midfielder is not on the scoresheet, Los Merengues nevertheless display a formidable consistency.
After being sent off against Osasuna, Jude Bellingham will miss two league games starting this Sunday against Girona at the Bernabeu. This is only the seventh time that the No5 has missed a Real Madrid match in all competitions. On the previous six occasions, he won five and drew one. Fans initially shuddered when Bellingham left the field in mid-August with a foot injury. However, even without the former Dortmund man, the Casa Blanca managed to maintain a high tempo. Games against Valladolid, Real Sociedad and Real Betis produced controlled victories, while a draw against Las Palmas was the only slip-up.
Carlo Ancelotti quickly realised that he had to carefully manage the energy of his young midfielder. He gave him a break in the Copa del Rey against Deportiva Minera. He made this choice to deal with the string of tough matches. It proved to be a wise decision, even though Madrid had to dig deep to qualify. Bellingham then suffered another physical setback against Girona, forcing him to take his place. Once again, the team found a way to win.
Higher attacking figures without Bellingham
The statistics reveal a surprising fact: Real Madrid score an average of 2.4 goals per game when Bellingham is on the pitch, but that figure rises to 2.7 in his absence. This increase may seem contradictory, given that the young Briton’s quality is a major asset when it comes to recovering and restarting play. In reality, the team is changing its attacking configuration and putting more pressure on the wings. Vinícius Jr and Rodrygo are taking advantage of this space to express themselves, while the midfield is redistributing its tasks with greater freedom.
In any case, the absence of key players often reveals the maturity of a squad. In this case, Real Madrid are proving that they have significant resources in every line. The substitutes are coming out of the shadows and expressing themselves with character when Bellingham leaves a gap in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni showed constant intensity, Luka Modrić remained a tireless creator, and Dani Ceballos and Arda Guler shone at times. The forwards applied more compact pressure, preventing their opponents from getting forward. Some commentators feared an over-reliance on Bellingham, but the squad responds well when he is missing.
Leave a Reply