Jude Bellingham, one of Real Madrid’s standout stars, has come under fire from the Spanish media for his recent goal drought, with fans and pundits alike questioning his form as Los Blancos continue to navigate attacking issues. The English midfielder has failed to find the back of the net in his last nine games, raising concerns as Real Madrid face teething problems following the introduction of new signing Kylian Mbappe into the squad.
In Saturday’s 2-1 win against Celta Vigo, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation, positioning Bellingham and Vinicius Junior behind Mbappe. Although Mbappe delivered with a stunning long-range goal in the 20th minute—his sixth in nine La Liga appearances—Bellingham appeared visibly frustrated as the game progressed.
The tension between Bellingham and his teammates became evident during a crucial moment in the first half when Vinicius opted to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Bellingham at the back post. The England star expressed his frustration, and the situation escalated when Celta Vigo equalized after the break, thanks to Williot Swedberg.
Though Vinicius made amends with the winning goal in the 66th minute, securing a hard-fought victory for Real Madrid, the Spanish press was quick to scrutinize Bellingham’s lack of impact. Leading sports newspaper Marca remarked on his current struggles, writing, “The sight of Madrid’s number 5 celebrating with open arms has become a distant memory. He has not celebrated a goal since May 14, and it seems that frustration has begun to creep in.”
Despite the media criticism, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti downplayed concerns over Bellingham’s goal drought, stating his confidence in the midfielder’s contributions beyond scoring. In a pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, Ancelotti explained, “We are satisfied with Bellingham’s work. He competes, fights, and sacrifices for the team. The goals may not be coming like they did last season, but his role remains crucial.”
As Real Madrid prepares to host Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday before facing Barcelona in El Clasico next weekend, Bellingham will be keen to break his goal-scoring dry spell and silence his critics. However, Ancelotti insists that Bellingham’s value goes beyond his scoring prowess, highlighting the team’s collective talent up front as they aim to stay in contention in both La Liga and the Champions League.
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