Jude Bellingham Reflects on Real Madrid's Champions League Win

Jude Bellingham walked off the Bernabéu pitch with three points in his pocket and a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

Real Madrid had opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but the scoreline – and the performance – left the England midfielder far from satisfied.

“We struggled at times against a very strong team,” Bellingham admitted afterwards. “They are deserving Italian champions, and there were moments when we made them suffer, especially on the counter-attacks, when we were passing the ball well.”

Madrid’s transitions did cut through Inter on several occasions, yet the killer touch deserted them. The pattern, Bellingham pointed out, was not new.

“Something similar happened against Real Betis at the end of last week, when we failed to take our chances,” he said, echoing a concern that has been growing around Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Control, pressure, chances – but not enough on the scoreboard.

“We could have finished the match with an easier scoreline,” he continued. “We had chances, myself included, but in the Champions League there are bound to be difficult moments.”

Those moments arrived late, with Inter pushing and Madrid forced to cling on. Bellingham, though, refused to pin the tension on the back line.

“We conceded only one goal, and the defenders were excellent, but big teams find gaps in our defence. And Courtois was brilliant,” he said. “Not everything was bad, but there is still room for improvement. The most important thing is the three points.”

If the team performance felt incomplete, Bellingham’s own night carried its own frustration. Twice he thought he had his goal. Twice he was denied.

“I thought I was going to score,” he admitted. “The first time, the goalkeeper suddenly appeared. The ball reached me and I said to myself: ‘It’s a goal.’ But he cleared it suddenly.”

The second chance hurt just as much.

“I saw the ball a little late, and there were players in the middle, I tried to control it and struck it well. But once again, the goalkeeper saved it superbly.”

For a player who has made a habit of deciding big European nights, this one ended with a different kind of lesson.

“It’s frustrating, because it would have made things easier for us if I had scored, but it’s part of the game,” Bellingham concluded. “On another day, these shots will go in.”

Madrid have their win. Bellingham has his standard set even higher. The next Champions League night will show whether those missed chances turn into the ruthless edge he is demanding.