Bellingham’s Late Winner Secures Victory for Real Madrid in Champions League Clash
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham came to the rescue with a dramatic 94th-minute strike, clinching a 1-0 victory over Champions League debutants Union Berlin. The Spanish giants, who have won the prestigious competition 14 times, found themselves frustrated by their resilient German opponents until Bellingham’s last-gasp goal.
With six goals in six games across all competitions, the England international has made an impressive start to his Madrid career. Union Berlin goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow repeatedly denied Madrid’s attempts, while both Rodrygo and Joselu hit the woodwork. However, it was Bellingham’s intervention that ultimately secured the win.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Bellingham for his performance, highlighting his ability to seize opportunities and his unwavering spirit. Ancelotti stated, Scoring in the last minute is the spirit of this shirt – of not giving up.
This victory extends Real Madrid’s outstanding home record in the Champions League, having scored in all but one of their last 68 home matches. However, in the first half of this particular encounter, the Madrid attack seemed toothless and lacked dynamism in the absence of injured forward Vinicius Junior.
Jude Bellingham, who recently joined Madrid from Borussia Dortmund, made his Champions League debut for the club and proved to be a pivotal addition. In the wake of their defeat to Manchester City in last season’s semi-finals, Madrid sought to bolster their squad with Bellingham’s arrival, aiming to capture the coveted Champions League title.
Union Berlin, under the guidance of Swiss coach Urs Fischer, exhibited composure and defensive discipline. Despite their status as newcomers to the Bundesliga, they remained unfazed by Real Madrid’s illustrious history. The presence of veteran Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci further fortified the German side’s defense.
Berlin adopted a deep defensive strategy, surrendering possession to Madrid and frustrating their opponents. Joselu missed Madrid’s best chance in the first half, narrowly heading wide, while his teammates settled for long-range attempts.
Real Madrid upped the pressure in the second half, but Ronnow made a superb save to deny Rodrygo at the near post, followed by the Brazilian striking the woodwork once again. Joselu also struck the post with a header, and Ronnow denied veteran midfielder Luka Modric.
As the match reached its climax, Bellingham emerged as the game-changer. Positioned perfectly in the box, he capitalized on a deflected Fede Valverde strike and stabbed the ball home from close range.
Despite their disappointment, Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer expressed pride in his team’s performance, acknowledging the difficulty of conceding a point in the final stages of the match. Fischer remarked, Football is fair – in the 95 minutes Real Madrid clearly ‘won’, but it hurts too if they take your point away in the last minute, because in defense we played well.
Twenty-year-old midfield dynamo Jude Bellingham’s remarkable goalscoring prowess has made him the de facto replacement for Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. Defender Nacho praised Bellingham’s contributions, emphasizing the team’s fortune to have him and expressing hope for more goals from the young English midfielder.
Madrid’s relentless attacking display, coupled with their awareness of Union Berlin’s counter-attacking threats, pleased Nacho. He said, It was a complete game, we had a lot of shots, the one thing we had to do was to be aware of their counter attacks – we’re very happy.
With this crucial win, Real Madrid aims to solidify its position as one of the front-runners in the Champions League. As the competition progresses, their success hinges not only on their star-studded lineup but also on the continued contributions of emerging talents like Jude Bellingham.
