At the Bernabeu, Real Madrid narrowly edged past Juventus thanks to a decisive goal from Jude Bellingham, who shined again just in time for El Clasico.
1. Real Madrid finally broke through Juventus’ tight defensive lock with an old-school goal—old-school, yet still recent enough that it feels like a story from long ago.
Vinicius created space inside the box with a series of dazzling dribbles, weaving through defenders on his own, eliminating them one by one before firing a shot off the post.
Real Madrid win by the slimmest margin. (Photo: RMCF)
Jude Bellingham arrived right on cue—just like his early days working under Carlo Ancelotti—when he continuously rescued the team seconds before the final whistle.
Between Vinicius’ moment of magic, the English midfielder’s return, and several superb saves from Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid claimed their third consecutive Champions League victory.
This latest win came against a disciplined Juventus side who ended the match by pinning Courtois’ goal under heavy pressure.
Los Blancos looked heavy, lacking ideas, yet still overcame the challenge—entering this weekend’s El Clasico against Barcelona unbeaten in Europe and sitting atop La Liga.
2. It was another night of grinding through a fortress—a match that demanded patience, shifting possession from side to side, waiting for cracks to appear in the opponent’s concentration and stamina.
Juventus maintained their trademark toughness, despite drowning in a significant crisis.
They arrived at the Bernabeu winless in six matches (five draws and a loss to Cesc Fabregas’ Como). But the “Old Lady” showed admirable resilience, fueled by manager Tudor, who paced the touchline endlessly, nearly ready to jump onto the pitch and fight with his players.
Juventus defended extremely compact, squeezing their shape into just 20 meters—or even less—as Real Madrid passed around that defensive wall wondering, “Where’s the entrance?”
Bellingham scores the only goal of the match. (Photo: EFE)
Tchouameni circulated the ball constantly, searching for Güler and Bellingham between the lines, with Vinicius and Brahim stretching wide. In front of them was a defensive maze seemingly without a solution.
Tudor’s side played with calm, at a slow tempo, but focused much of their attention on the right flank, where Kalulu was always primed to sprint. Once they won the ball, that became their main counterattacking route.
From those breaks came the first scares for Madrid. Raul Asencio twice intervened inside the box to stop counters, while Courtois was repeatedly forced into action to block efforts from McKennie and Gatti.
Early in the second half, Vlahovic burst forward from deep, leaving Militao behind and going one-on-one with Courtois. The Belgian keeper produced a stunning save to prevent an almost certain goal.
At the other end, Real Madrid desperately searched for light—until Vinicius delivered a moment both desperate and genius. He danced, fired off the post, and Bellingham pounced on the rebound to score his first goal of the season.
3. “Jude played very well against Getafe. This match was much tougher with no space, but Bellingham is one of the most complete players in the world. He always has that hunger to score,” praised Xabi Alonso.
Courtois wins his showdown with Vlahovic. (Photo: Diario AS)
This time, Kylian Mbappé didn’t find the net—ending his streak of scoring in 11 consecutive matches. Instead, Bellingham decided the game in his trademark fashion.
“That’s what I love about players like him. Vini creates, and Jude is always ready,” Courtois said. The former Chelsea keeper was also a hero with four crucial saves, on his 300th appearance for Los Blancos.
For the past month, Madrid’s starting XI has largely revolved around Bellingham—whether he plays or not.
Against Juventus, he returned to the lineup as a supporting attacker. Xabi Alonso arranged the rest of the team around Jude’s position. Arda Güler had to shift away from his preferred role.
“Bellingham has the quality to build play and the decisiveness to finish it,” Xabi explained. “He’s very versatile—one of the most complete players in the world.”
The Englishman disappointed in the Madrid derby, but now he’s expected to shine when facing Barcelona.