While it wasn't a classic encounter, the roar from the Madrid's home stadium was familiar. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham once again stood before the south end with his arms wide open, basking in the crowd's rendition of Hey Jude. Following a shoulder injury and uncertainty about his role, he scored his opening strike of the season, eventually securing a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that put up a fight. “We had to sweat for it,” stated Thibaut Courtois.
Decisive Stops Secure the Win
Courtois understood perfectly well, having to rescue a one-on-one from the Serbian striker and produce another crucial save from the French midfielder in the dying moments. This result puts Madrid on nine points and the opposition team outside the qualifying spots. After a match with more shots than fluid football, the Juventus manager may reflect on a promising opening, with those saves representing a wasted moment around the closing stages; the team's reality however presents worrying statistics.
“An Italian team in difficulty is doubly threatening,” the Madrid coach had remarked in advance.
The Turin-based club, which hadn’t won since last month, did cause Madrid issues at the beginning and once more near the end. Madrid dominated the ball, with a significant advantage, but Juventus were dangerous on the break, particularly with the French defender running and Vlahović combining, managing a dozen attempts compared to the hosts' twenty-seven.
Promising Start for Visitors
They had started well, without a doubt. After just three minutes, they thought they were ahead, Vlahović a little unlucky to be called for holding the Brazilian defender. Three minutes later, the Madrid defender had to slide ahead of Vlahović when the wing-back dashed clear on the right. And soon after, the American midfielder's effort was pushed wide.
What followed, from Federico Gatti's powerful strike, was a even better save. A quarter of an hour had passed. However, quickly the visitors' impetus had dissipated too. Madrid assumed command. Largely it was rather mechanical, though, and the top chances came to the French midfielder, who wouldn’t be Alonso’s striker of choice. Two were off target, a third one deflected wide; another headed opportunity was missed by Militão.
Guler Shines
The best moments were provided by Arda Güler. Güler, whose play was the closest there was to smooth attacking, was always involved. His clever control and spin saw him clip to the far post for Bellingham.
Little was seen of the French superstar early on, but when he did appear it was the nearest Madrid got to a goal. First his shot was stopped by Michele Di Gregorio, who would produce several stops. Then some lovely fast footwork saw him evade Andrea Cambiaso repeatedly until he went down to the turf and set up his teammate to fire over.
Late Tension
Militão threw himself to halt Kalulu at the outset of the second half, and then came the customary Courtois rescue when unexpectedly the attacker was through. The “inadvertent pass” had been remarkable, with Lloyd Kelly cutting out a ball inside his own area and the sphere deflecting from the instep of his boot directly through the middle to past the halfway line. Racing after it, huge space opening, Vlahović raced Militão, holding him off and advancing into the area where Courtois saved.
Then what tends to happen occurred, the save made good by the score that follows it. A burst from Vinícius Júnior created it, creating enough space amid four men to unleash a driven effort which struck the upright. Positioned in that striker’s role was the goalscorer. The breakthrough found, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and Fede Valverde seeing his volley deflected by the defender. Subsequently Di Gregorio made a superb quick saves from the forward and the attacking midfielder.
There were more scares: as the game was drawing to a close, Raúl Asencio had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were opened up and at the mercy of Loïs Openda unmarked in the penalty box. Then in the final seconds Courtois flew in to stop the midfielder, his job complete. For Juve, there was no way back, Bellingham’s first of the campaign the last of the encounter.
“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a period out and thinking of that moment, returning in the elite competition and against a big team. To score a winner, here at home, it’s incredible. I was at ease, excellent. To play well was crucial and to score the winning goal benefits the team greatly.”
Regarding his form, he continued: “I didn’t think last year was a failure, still fifteen strikes, fourteen setups, but I know the perception was that it was poorer. But I was a contributor to that, how we didn’t play as well last year, there were still positive spells but not the standard I aim to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a different coach, he’s got that system, how we intend to play…. You have to take lessons.”
