Jude Bellingham has quickly become the beacon of brilliance for Real Madrid since his arrival, and on Saturday, the 20-year-old England midfielder struck late to send the newly renovated Santiago Bernabeu Stadium into euphoria.
Having already endeared himself to the Madrid faithful with a flurry of goals in the opening games of the season, Bellingham’s magic touched new heights.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, Getafe’s goalkeeper gifted him an opportunity he couldn’t refuse. A fumbled save landed the ball at his feet, and with a composure that defied his age, he tapped home the winner.
This 2-1 comeback victory not only saved the day but also kept Real Madrid perched at the summit of the Spanish league with a flawless record.
The celebration that followed was nothing short of spectacular.
Madrid’s supporters, their hearts brimming with joy, serenaded Bellingham with the iconic “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. The sheer volume and passion of the moment moved the young star.
“That is the loudest moment I have been in at a stadium, and happily it was after my goal,” Bellingham said. “I can’t believe it, to be honest. When they were singing ‘Hey Jude,’ I just wanted to turn and listen – my legs were shaking.”
“I know I was brought in for these kinds of moments, and I’ve just got to keep doing it and making sure the fans go home happy,” he continued.
This season posed a unique challenge for Real Madrid, as they lost their veteran top scorer, Karim Benzema, to the emerging Saudi Arabian league.
Their hopes rested on Joselu Mato, and Bellingham himself. Joselu, who started in place of the injured Vinicius Junior, is a classic striker who thrives on headers and goalmouth chaos.
Getafe took the early lead, capitalizing on a defensive lapse, but Joselu found his moment in the 47th minute when he pounced on a loose ball to level the score.
The game remained a stalemate until the final moments when Bellingham capitalized on a goalkeeper error to secure all three points.
With five goals in four games, including a memorable brace in a 3-1 comeback against Almeria, Bellingham now leads the league’s scoring charts, a stunning transformation from his eight goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances last season.
“We are not surprised by the talent of (Bellingham), but I am surprised that he is scoring so many goals. Everyone is surprised, even him,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted.
Besides Bellingham’s heroics, the pre-match festivities paid tribute to four of Spain’s Women’s World Cup champions, including Real Madrid players who paraded the World Cup trophy on the hallowed grounds of Santiago Bernabeu.
Amid the celebration, the Women’s World Cup victory was marred by an incident involving the Spanish Football Federation president.
Meanwhile, Getafe’s acquisition of Mason Greenwood, a loan signing from Manchester United, has stirred controversy because of Greenwood’s past involvement in a criminal investigation.
Getafe coach Jose Bordalas emphasized the delicacy of the situation and Greenwood’s determination to resurrect his career.
In other results, Real Sociedad notched their first win of the season with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Granada, Real Betis edged out Rayo Vallecano 1-0 with a sublime free-kick from Willian Jose, and Alaves secured a 1-0 win against Valencia courtesy of an own goal by defender Cenk Özkacar.
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