Jude Bellingham supports his relationship with Kylian Mbappé and Viní Jr.
Jude Bellingham has expressed confidence that he, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinícius Júnior can perform effectively together for Real Madrid ahead of an “all-or-nothing” Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The midfielder has faced a tough season, initially recovering from shoulder surgery and subsequently dealing with a hamstring issue, in what has been a challenging campaign overall for Madrid, with the Champions League now representing the team’s last viable opportunity to secure a significant trophy.
Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat to Bayern at the Bernabéu last week in the first leg, a match in which Mbappé and Vinícius were starters, while Bellingham was brought on by coach Álvaro Arbeloa as a substitute in the second half.
“It’s challenging, because I still feel like there have been many matches where we’ve combined really well,” Bellingham stated in a news conference on Tuesday when discussing his partnership with the two stars.
“At times, it can be tricky with two naturally left-footed players [Mbappé and Vini].
“It can be complicated when we’re all positioned on the same flank. Arbeloa has found a balance with me being on the opposite side a bit more. We’re fluid, we have the freedom to move, and at times that can create some disorganization, but with both of them, you have to trust their skills… When everything aligns, hopefully like tomorrow. I’ve witnessed it before.”
Madrid trails leaders Barcelona by nine points in LaLiga after dropping more points in a 1-1 home draw against Girona on Friday, increasing the pressure on the Bayern match.
“We want to still be competing for something at the end of the season,” Bellingham remarked. “It’s extremely important for us, for the club… Clearly, it’s been somewhat of a frustrating season for me, my first one like this, missing numerous matches due to injury.
“Any defeat in the Champions League feels catastrophic. Given our current situation, we recognize that tomorrow is a final. We must approach it as an all-or-nothing game.”
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Arbeloa — whose long-term position as coach has been questioned following Madrid’s failure to win in their last three matches against Real Mallorca, Bayern, and Girona — stated that the 2-1 first leg result means his team “doesn’t need to perform any miracles” in Munich.
“To start with, we are Real Madrid,” Arbeloa asserted. “If there is a team that comes to this stadium to turn things around, it’s us. If we had won [the first leg], it wouldn’t have been anything extraordinary. Their goalkeeper [Manuel Neuer] was the MVP. We are capable of it.
“The Real Madrid coach believes, the players believe, and the club believes. There hasn’t been a single fan I’ve encountered in the past few days who doesn’t believe we will win.”
