In their Champions League play-off against Manchester City, Joe Bellingham won, but his week quickly turned around.
Los Blancos lost two points in the spanish title race on Saturday at Osasuna as the England international was sent off in the opening half.
The midfielder will at least be prepared for the tie-breaker with City on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid leading the tie 3-2 heading into the match after winning last week at the Etihad Stadium.
Bellingham apologized to his team-mates and acknowledged that he had let his side down by rejecting his dissent despite claiming that the referee had misinterpreted him.
If he helps Madrid get past Pep Guardiola’s City and into the last 16, all will be forgiven.
“Enough said about the misunderstanding, just wanted to apologise again for leaving my team-mates in such a tough position and thank the fans for their support and understanding”, wrote Bellingham on social media.
“We’ll see each other on Wednesday, (playing) at home”.
Since moving to Spain from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, he received his second red card for arguing with officials.
Bellingham has mostly enjoyed himself in Spain despite occasionally getting frustrated with officials.
His goals were crucial in Madrid’s La Liga victory last year, and he helped his team win their 15th Champions League title at Wembley against his former team, Dortmund, who had won it before.
Bellingham had previously been linked to City, but he claimed that he got “goosebumps” after being taken by the Spanish giants and that his heart almost stopped when they arrived in Madrid.
“I’d always been aware of the interest from England so that was pretty normal”, he said after joining.
Money is not something I should have. I don’t think about money at all when I make these kind of decisions. I play the game solely out of love, which I never have and will never do.
” It wasn’t a case of other teams are bad or they weren’t good but, for me, Madrid is the greatest. “
Big game Bellingham
Bellingham converted a penalty in the Champions League quarter-final shootout against City that his fairytale debut season would have won. In his fairytale debut season, Bellingham had 23 goals in 43 games.
Bellingham has often shone in Madrid’s key matches.
The 21-year-old scored vital goals in both league Clasicos last season, and in both games against Girona, who for most of the season were Madrid’s main title contenders.
He scored four goals in the group stage and set up Vinicius for a goal in the Champions League final against Dortmund.
Following the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, he initially struggled to find his spark in the attack, playing a slightly more reserved role this season.
Bellingham, who had scored double figures the previous year, failed to find the net in his first 12 games.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, the coach, praised the midfielder’s hard work in the defensive zone.
Eventually Bellingham’s nose for goal returned and he has scored 10 times in his last 20 games, as well as providing six assists.
In the 92nd minute, City gave Madrid the lead before the most recent of those strikes struck.
Although the events that followed have been turbulent, Bellingham will have been focused on getting the job done by the time the Champions League anthem ringes out at the Bernabeu.
Source: Channels TV
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