Jude Bellingham’s Back in Business! How Jude Found His Goalscoring Mojo Again for Real Madrid

The English midfielder has begun to find the back of the net consistently again, much to the relief of trophy-chasing Los Blancos.

Well, that crisis lasted just about three months! Jude Bellingham was reportedly in significant trouble. The goalscorer, who had never really been known for scoring, had stopped finding the net. It wasn’t until November 9 that Bellingham scored his first goal for Real Madrid this season. Following a poor stretch of results — largely unrelated to his individual performances — the “overrated” narrative gained momentum. The “one-season wonder” label was being tossed around. Jude who?

It was surprisingly simple to explain Bellingham’s early-season struggles. He was playing further from goal, in a restructured team with more goal-scorers, a setup that doesn’t exactly lend itself to consistent scoring. Nonetheless, Bellingham is back — though he never truly disappeared. He has netted five goals in his last six matches, including four in a row. His efficiency is evident, along with a crucial swagger to his play. While he’s not a 20-goal-per-season striker, there are signs of his early form in Madrid.

With Los Blancos coming off a vital Champions League match and injuries mounting, his return to form couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment. There are many facets to Bellingham’s game, and the version that can score in abundance has arrived, which will only benefit Madrid.

A Tumultuous 2023 Comes to an End

Last year, the buzz around Jude Bellingham was that he could score 40 goals. At one point, it genuinely seemed possible, especially when he was surpassing records set by Cristiano Ronaldo in his early days at Real Madrid. A strong start hinted at a season that could go down as one of the greatest individual campaigns. But, as it often goes, things didn’t unfold as expected after Bellingham quickly hit double digits, netting 15 goals before Christmas.

Soon enough, his scoring slowed, leaving many puzzled. How could this player, who had been so prolific, suddenly stop finding the net? The truth is, football can be unpredictable, and Bellingham’s dip in form can be attributed to several factors. First, he was given a more withdrawn role, playing deeper and further from goal. Secondly, Vinicius Jr found his own scoring rhythm. And perhaps most importantly, Bellingham’s luck simply ran out.

While expected goal (xG) statistics can sometimes seem arbitrary, Bellingham had been significantly overperforming his xG in the early months of the season. Eventually, he balanced things out, keeping the statisticians content. However, it’s important to remember that scoring 23 goals in all competitions at just 21 years old, while adapting to a new country and playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, is a remarkable feat — something that’s often overlooked.

Bellingham’s New Role in Madrid’s Evolving Attack

This season was always going to be more complex. The arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.’s growing form, and the Rodrygo dilemma meant that Bellingham was bound to be pushed into a deeper role. Carlo Ancelotti even acknowledged that the Englishman might score fewer goals this time around.

“The surprise isn’t this year, the surprise was last year, when he scored lots of goals which nobody expected and helped us a lot,” Ancelotti remarked in late October. “The problem this year isn’t that we’re lacking Bellingham’s goals. We’ve always scored goals, and we’ll always score because we have talented players up front. For us, the work he’s doing now is more important than the goals he scored last year.”

But this wasn’t really an issue. While Madrid haven’t quite found their best form yet and have at times appeared disjointed in the final third, their attack remains potent. Individual moments shine, but the collective cohesion still needs work. With defensive transitions proving vulnerable, Madrid has admittedly shown improvement in recent weeks. Regardless, Bellingham was moved into a deeper role, positioned to create rather than score.

And he’s done so with impressive success. Bellingham has recorded six assists in all competitions, his partnership with Vinicius almost telepathic. Moreover, it’s worth noting that Bellingham is a central midfielder, a player more like Steven Gerrard than Cristiano Ronaldo. While the goals are a bonus, his value lies in his all-around game, bolstered by an exceptional work rate. So, the goal drought was inevitable. It was always going to happen.

Bad Luck & Excessive Scrutiny

Luck has certainly played a role here. Early in the 2023-24 season, it seemed as though every bounce was falling in Bellingham’s favor. He made his trademark late runs into the box, and deflections often found their way to his feet. He capitalized on several tap-ins and benefited from a few fortunate ricochets. It’s also important to remember he scored a stunning 30-yard strike to win El Clasico — both factors can coexist.

However, this season, the lucky bounces have been absent. Bellingham was still doing all the right things, though in fewer opportunities. Five of his first 11 shots were on target, and he hit the woodwork a couple of times. Yet, the key factors that fueled his strong start last season weren’t as prominent this time around.

Madrid, too, struggled early in the season. Mbappe couldn’t find his rhythm, and the team seemed to forget how to defend. Only flashes of individual brilliance kept them in the title race. Bellingham, of course, wasn’t immune to criticism, but he was just another piece in a tense, dysfunctional system.

Looking back at the Euros, particularly the final loss to Spain, and the relentless media and fan scrutiny that followed, it was clear that Bellingham felt the weight of expectations. He was hailed as the savior who would finally end England’s long wait for a trophy, but when things fell apart, the Madrid midfielder even claimed he became the scapegoat.

Jude’s Revival Amid Madrid’s Injury Crisis

Back to matters in Madrid, and it was always a matter of time before the opportunities would arrive for Bellingham. If there’s any silver lining to Los Blancos’ rocky start to the 2024-25 season, it’s that it allowed Ancelotti the freedom to experiment. The initial 4-3-3 formation wasn’t yielding results, and injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao disrupted the balance and resilience of the team.

When Rodrygo suffered a muscle injury, Ancelotti had the perfect reason to revert to the diamond formation that had served him so well last season.

With that, Bellingham was back in a more attacking role. Playing behind a forward duo of Vinicius and Mbappe, the chances began to come his way once more. The England international found himself in advanced positions, taking more shots and creating more for his teammates. He scored Madrid’s third goal against Leganes on November 25, darting into the box to nod home a deflected shot. It wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly the kind of goal he scored last year — the result of both instinct and opportunity.

Bellingham Finds His Funk Again

The confidence boost Bellingham has gained in recent weeks is unmistakable. Though he’s never shied away from expressing himself on the pitch, his swagger has been particularly noticeable as of late. There’s less hesitation, fewer unnecessary touches, and his jinks, cuts, turns, and nutmegs now feel purposeful and direct. His shot-creating actions and successful take-ons have risen, and despite touching the ball less, Bellingham has rediscovered the cutting edge that made his debut season in Madrid so memorable. In his last four appearances, he’s taken four shots — and scored on each of them.

There was the cheeky penalty against Getafe, followed by a composed finish off a rebound against Athletic Club, a game where Madrid could have walked away with points if Mbappe hadn’t missed a penalty for the second consecutive match.

But it didn’t stop there. His confidence soared when he smashed home a first-time piledriver against Girona in Madrid’s last La Liga match. He then sealed the win with a brilliant piece of skill and a left-footed strike to defeat Atalanta, a team that had gone unbeaten for nearly three months.

Bellingham’s Role to Expand Amid Madrid’s Injury Woes

Jude Bellingham may be called upon to do even more in the coming weeks as Madrid face an injury crisis across the pitch. After picking up a muscle issue against Atalanta, Kylian Mbappe is now expected to miss some time, including this weekend’s match against Rayo Vallecano and potentially next week’s Intercontinental Cup clash.

This opens the door for a return to the successful front two-plus-one formation that powered Madrid last season. With Vinicius and Rodrygo up front and Bellingham just behind, Los Blancos were formidable for long stretches. Mbappe’s absence could see them revert to this system, potentially unlocking the early version of Bellingham that rivalled Ronaldo and set records.

However, more broadly, any contributions Bellingham can make will be crucial. Madrid boasts goalscorers across the pitch, and Bellingham doesn’t need to score 20-plus goals a season. But if he can maintain his form and step up when necessary, Ancelotti’s side will benefit significantly.

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