According to coach Carlo Ancelotti, alongside Jude Bellingham, Real has many players capable of scoring goals.
In over 90 minutes against Rayo, Bellingham created three chances, completed 89% of his passes, succeeded in three out of four dribbles, completed 100% of his long passes, had a 100% tackle success rate, and regained possession ten times. He contributed three out of Real’s 22 total shots during the match, but he, along with his teammates, couldn’t make a breakthrough.
After the match, when asked about whether Real is overly dependent on Bellingham, Coach Ancelotti replied, “No, we still have many other resources. Today, we created opportunities for Valverde, Vinicius, Joselu, and Rodrygo. The issue was that the team lacked sharpness at that moment.”
According to Ancelotti, Real tried various attacking approaches, such as crossing, making through balls, or central breakthroughs, but none were successful. However, he affirmed that a 0-0 draw could happen, and the players understood that.
Ancelotti also dismissed concerns about Real’s form. He stated that losing one match and drawing two out of 15 games on all fronts in the first part of the season is normal for any big team. “We are hurt by the results, not the style of play,” the Italian coach added. “In the La Liga standings, we are still fine. We are also performing well in the Champions League. There is nothing dramatic here.”
Regarding Bellingham’s shoulder injury, Ancelotti stated that Real would further assess it after the match. If it is okay, the English midfielder may continue to play against Braga in the Champions League on November 8. In the first half, Bellingham suffered a shoulder injury after a collision. However, after being treated, he continued to play the entire match.
This summer, Bellingham joined Real for $110 million from Dortmund. The 20-year-old midfielder made an early impact, scoring ten goals in 11 La Liga matches and 13 goals in 14 games across all competitions. On October 28, Bellingham scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Barca. The English midfielder leads Real’s scoring chart, with eight more goals than the second-placed Joselu, who has eight goals. He also leads the race for the La Liga Golden Boot, with three more goals than second-placed Antoine Griezmann.
The 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano saw Real pay the price as they lost the lead in La Liga. Girona currently sits at the top with 31 points, two more than Real, while Barca is in third place with 27 points.
This season, Real no longer has their key striker, Karim Benzema. The player who scored 354 goals in 648 matches for Real moved to Al Ittihad in July. After failing to acquire Kylian Mbappe, the Bernabeu-based club only signed Joselu on loan from Espanyol, a relegated team from last season, to replace Benzema.
On October 30, during the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, Bellingham received the Kopa award for the best U21 player of the year. The 20-year-old midfielder earned 90 points, while Jamal Musiala came in second with 42 points, and Pedri was in third place with 33 points. Bellingham won the award for the first time, having finished as the runner-up to Pedri in 2021. Other previous winners include Mbappe in 2018, De Ligt in 2019, and Gavi in 2022. The 2020 award was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
