Jose Mourinho has built his Real Madrid system around 23-year-old Jude Bellingham, who has impressed with early goals, assists, and midfield dominance.
Rejecting the long-standing belief that his pragmatic approach stifles creative players, Jose Mourinho has historically constructed his winning teams around focal playmakers, such as Deco at FC Porto, Mesut Ozil at Real Madrid, Wesley Sneijder at Inter Milan, and Eidur Gudjohnsen and Oscar at Chelsea. In his second reign at the Spanish club, the Portuguese manager has chosen Jude Bellingham as his core architect over building exclusively around Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Junior.
Bellingham was thrust directly into action following an extended post-World Cup break, starting centrally in Madrid's season opener against Espanyol. The move pushed Bernardo Silva into a deeper role and shifted Arda Guler wider. Bellingham broke the deadlock in that match, scoring the first goal of Mourinho's return. Through his first four league appearances, the 23-year-old midfielder has delivered two goals, two assists, directly created another goal, and struck the woodwork.
Ahead of a match against Malaga, Mourinho praised Bellingham's complete skill set, calling him "a unique and extremely important player, one with diverse talents, from physical to mental and tactical." Mourinho added, "He also has the ability to win back possession, press effectively and score goals, especially in the air. He is an absolutely impressive player." Bellingham went on to record a goal and an assist in the subsequent 4-0 win over Malaga.
By contributing to at least four goals in the opening three league matches, Bellingham matched a mark he previously set when arriving at Real Madrid in 2023, following an earlier milestone where he became the first Madrid player since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 to score in his first four games. Beyond his goals and assists, Bellingham ranks among the team's leaders in ball recoveries, chance creation, and successful passes in the opposition half. Following the win over Malaga, Bellingham said, "Now I play with a bit more freedom, with the liberty to move further up or down the pitch, depending on our needs. I’m having a lot of fun, I’m really enjoying my football, and that’s why I’m performing well."
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Football. Photo courtesy The Hindu Football.