JudeBellingham has gone from being the “cyclone” who dominated the international phase with England to becoming a “burst” player at Real Madrid. After his brilliant performance against Croatia on October 3, where he scored and gave three assists, the English midfielder returned to the club with a less explosive intensity, although without losing his talent.
England's 0-7 defeat to Rijeka and Bellingham's absolute dominance in the match against Croatia were the culmination of an extraordinary international break, with one goal and four assists in four games. At Real Madrid, however, the player has played four games (Villarreal, Roma, Sevilla and Leipzig) without scoring and with only one assist, which shows a loss of the forcefulness he showed with the national team.
On the return to Villarreal Bellingham completed 90 minutes without creating offensive opportunities, with two shots and without creating any chances. In Rome, despite playing the full game, he only managed three shots and one assist, although the team won 4‑3. In Seville, Madrid's only goal was assisted by Bellingham to Mbappé, and in Leipzig, although he did not score, he created three chances and made two effective dribbles. These data show a progression that, although irregular, indicates that the midfielder is regaining his weight in the game.
Coach José Mourinho has placed Bellingham in a forward position, close to the forwards, to take advantage of his ability to appear from the second line and create scoring opportunities. This positioning allows him to influence the final phase of the attack, although it also distances him from developing the game in the intermediate zones, which explains the variability in his performance.
In the League, Bellingham has recorded three goals and three assists in nine games, which represents a remarkable performance for a midfielder. The question now is whether he can maintain the continuity that made him a constant threat during the international break. The upcoming classic against Barcelona at the Camp Nou will be the perfect setting for Mourinho to evaluate whether Bellingham can once again dominate the pace of the match and turn his flashes into total dominance.