The best Jude Bellingham is back, and Real Madrid are grateful. Kylian Mbappe scored both goals in the Madrid victory in El Clasico, but the Englishman's influence across every area of the pitch was one of the main factors behind the win over FC Barcelona.
Just looking at the heat map of Real Madrid's number five gives us an idea of the ground he covered at both ends of the pitch. It was a quality that captivated Madrid fans during his first year at the Bernabeu but was conspicuously absent during the 2025/26 campaign.
But it was not just one image that testified to the midfielder's monumental performance. The numbers he posted at Camp Nou back it up, too.
He had 56 touches of the ball, four of them inside the opposition box, and the vast majority helped improve Jose Mourinho's team's play.
Bellingham also completed 100 per cent of his dribbles (three out of three) and had one shot on target, which was saved by Joan García. Meanwhile, 83.33 per cent of his passes (20/24) found their target, with eight played forward and a further six ending in the final third.
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But if one thing made the difference for the England international in the match, it was his effectiveness in duels, made possible by an unquestionable willingness to sacrifice himself for the team. He won 72.22 per cent of the challenges he contested against Barcelona (13/18) and recovered no fewer than six balls.
It was a physical exhibition that offers Real Madrid hope and confirms that Jude's best form is back.