Author: Soorya G
English midfield star Jude Bellingham began his Real Madrid career with a fantastic performance in the pre-season match against Italian giants AC Milan. In the battle between the two teams that occupy first and second place among the teams that have won the most Champions League titles, Bellingham has convinced his new employers that they really made the right decision in hiring him.
There was absolutely no evidence of nerves in Bellingham’s performance, as he soon showed great confidence, launching into a solo run full of skill, leaving two Milan defenders behind. Throughout the first half, Bellingham showed his ability in attack and also his adaptability to Real Madrid’s system. Towards the end of the first half, a sublime first-time pass almost put Brahim Diaz on the pitch, another indication of his brilliance.
Subbed on to the bench after about an hour, Bellingham left the pitch to the applause of the Real Madrid fans and also received praise from coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“It’s rare to find a player with that kind of quality. He’s only 20, so he can improve. We’re lucky to have you on our team. We’ve already seen the kind of performance he put in when he was at Dortmund. He’s easily one of the best midfielders in the world and he’s only going to get better. Today, he was fantastic. He has a lot of pace, moves well and has the quality to find open spaces.” said Ancelotti.
Bellingham’s teammate in England, Fikayo Tomori (who plays for AC Milan), also spoke highly of the 20-year-old and felt that the former Dortmund player had already fitted into the team and was destined for great things.
“He’s very elegant and will be a very good player for them. He said he adapted well. It’s good to see so many English players going to other countries. I know the Premier League is big, but there’s soccer beyond that.” said Tomori.
As for the game itself, Milan led 2-0 after the first half. The goals came from Tomori in the 25th minute and Romero in the 42nd minute. In the second half, Ancelotti brought on eight new players at once. Valverde scored two goals in just two minutes (57, 59) and, in the 84th minute, Vinicius gave Real Madrid a 3-2 win.