MADRID, 30 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The midfielders Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) and Ilkay Gündogan (FC Barcelona) were the two main protagonists in the first Clásico of the season, which the white team ended up winning (1-2) after overcoming the initial goal of Barça’s ’22’ with the double from the English player, both completing a great debut in this type of match.
Gündogan and Bellingham arrived this summer at Barcelona and Real Madrid as star signings. Two differential midfielders to provide a leap in quality to both the whites and the Catalans, and who are not disappointing their fans. This Saturday, in the first Clásico of the season, they were the scorers of the game, as well as the leaders of their respective teams on the field.
Six minutes into the game, a ball that Tchouameni failed to clear fell to the German international in a free position against Kepa, and he made no mistake in the one-on-one, favored by a poor interception by Alaba. It was his first goal in an official match with Barcelona, to put Xavi Hernández’s team ahead of Real Madrid. But, beyond the goal, Gündogan shone in other aspects.
He was the second player on his team with the most actions with the ball (94), only surpassed by Iñigo Martínez. The German felt comfortable on the field and was the metronome of his team, being the one who completed the most passes (78) in the game, 13 of them in the final third. He was also the one who made the most crosses, with 5, although none of them were finished off. He also brought depth to Barça’s game, making 8 tackles in the final third.
Finally, the German showed personality and leadership skills after the defeat, with subsequent statements in which he expressed his surprise at the atmosphere in the Barça locker room. “After such an important match and such an unnecessary result, I would like to see more anger and disappointment. And this is part of the problem,” said Gündogan, who at 33 shows that he has not lost his hunger for titles.
And if Gündogan’s performance was notable, Bellingham’s was outstanding. The Englishman was the star of the Classic with a double in his first official match against FC Barcelona. Two goals as a Madrid player against the eternal rival in a League match that only two players had managed to achieve in the 21st century: Ruud van Nistelrooy, in 2006-07, and Cristiano Ronaldo, in 2012-13.
The scoring figures of the ‘5’ are being stratospheric. He is the only midfielder in the five ‘big’ leagues who has reached double figures, being the current top scorer. The first goal was a great right hand from the edge of the area that slipped into the corner of the goal defended by Ter Stegen. And the second, taking advantage of a loose ball inside the area to certify the white victory in stoppage time. Quality and scoring nose, which added to his records in distribution, make him the total midfielder.
And the English international was the player who touched the rival area the most, with 4 actions, as well as the second Real Madrid player who touched the most balls, with 75, only surpassed by Tchouameni (76). Furthermore, he completed 44 of the 48 passes he attempted, was the player of the match who played the most duels (18), and recovered 2 balls in the final third.