Jude Bellingham Reflects on Real Madrid's 2-1 Victory Against Inter Milan
Jude Bellingham walked off the pitch at the Bernabéu with three points in his pocket and frustration written all over his face.
Real Madrid had opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but for the England midfielder, the scoreline told only half the story.
“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 rhythm came in bursts. When they moved the ball cleanly through the lines, Inter bent. When they lost their precision, Inter bit back. The pattern was familiar to Bellingham, who immediately drew a line back to the weekend.
“Something similar happened against Real Betis at the end of last week, when we failed to take our chances,” he said, pointing to a recurring theme that clearly irritates him.
This was not a night short on opportunities. Madrid carved out enough chances to put the game to bed, yet left the door ajar long enough for nerves to creep in.
“We could have finished the match with an easier scoreline,” Bellingham reflected. “We had chances, myself included, but in the Champions League there are bound to be difficult moments.”
Those moments arrived in both boxes. At one end, Madrid’s defenders held firm for long spells but still saw Inter find a way through.
“We conceded only one goal, and the defenders were excellent, but big teams find gaps in our defence,” Bellingham said. “And Courtois was brilliant. Not everything was bad, but there is still room for improvement. The most important thing is the three points.”
Courtois’ interventions underlined that point. Inter did not dominate, yet whenever they did break through, the Belgian stood between Madrid and a far more complicated night.
For Bellingham, the irritation came from his own finishing. Twice he thought he had killed the contest. Twice he watched Inter’s goalkeeper rip that certainty away.
“I thought I was going to score,” he said. “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.”
Those misses did not cost Madrid the win, but they did shape Bellingham’s mood. Satisfaction at the result, annoyance at the route taken.
“It’s frustrating, because it would have made things easier for us if I had scored, but it’s part of the game,” he concluded. “On another day, these shots will go in.”
Madrid have their victory and their warning. The points are on the board. The margins, as Bellingham knows, will only get thinner from here.
