Jude Bellingham is convinced that Real Madrid can still make it to the next round despite losing 3-0 to Arsenal in London last week. The Spanish club is set to host the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu this Wednesday. Bellingham says the team’s confidence remains high despite the tough result. “The atmosphere at Bernabéu is always incredible. The energy is contagious. We can feel it, and it brings out the best in us,” he said at a press conference.
The 21-year-old midfielder emphasized that the players are determined to give their all to eliminate Arsenal in front of their home crowd. “We don’t need to ask Real Madrid fans to do something they’ve never done before. It’s amazing. We’ve come from a 3-0 loss – one of the worst results we could have imagined – but everyone believes we can turn it around. It shows that we’re at the best club in the world,” Bellingham added.
Learning from the Past
Bellingham revealed that the word “comeback” is being repeated in the dressing room. He’s been watching videos of past comebacks on TikTok, including Real Madrid’s win against Anderlecht. “This is a night made for Real Madrid. I think we can’t add anything more special to it. We’ve seen the latest and oldest comebacks, and we want to add another one to the list,” he said. To achieve this, Bellingham believes the team needs to show a different level of commitment and attitude, which was lacking in the first leg.
- The team needs to be more aggressive.
- They need to have more possession of the ball.
- They need to run more.
Statistics from the first leg showed that Real Madrid ran 14 kilometers less than Arsenal, which Bellingham acknowledged was a significant factor. “It’s true that the team that runs more has a higher chance of winning. They say we ran 14 kilometers less than them. That’s like being a player down, and a bit more. So, it definitely has an impact,” he admitted.
Bellingham’s confidence in his team’s ability to stage a comeback is clear. The question now is whether Real Madrid can turn their confidence into action and overcome the deficit against Arsenal.
