Bellingham defends connection with Mbappé, Vini
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Jude Bellingham has said that he, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior can deliver together on the pitch for Real Madrid ahead of an “all-or-nothing” Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The midfielder has had a challenging season — first recovering from shoulder surgery and then suffering a hamstring problem — in a difficult campaign all-round for Madrid, with the Champions League now the team’s last realistic chance of winning a major trophy.
Madrid were beaten 2-1 by Bayern at the Bernabéu last week in the first leg, a game which Mbappé and Vinícius started, while Bellingham was introduced by coach Álvaro Arbeloa as a second-half substitute.
“It’s difficult, because I still feel like there’ve been many games where we’ve mixed really well,” Bellingham said in a news conference on Tuesday, when asked about combining with the two superstars.
“At times, it can be difficult with two naturally left-sided players [Mbappé and Vini].
“It can be difficult when we’re all on the same side. Arbeloa’s found a balance with me on the other side a bit more. We’re fluid, we have freedom to move around, at times that can disorganise a bit, but with both of them, you have to trust in their ability… When things are right, hopefully like tomorrow. I’ve seen it before.”
Madrid are nine points behind leaders Barcelona in LaLiga after they dropped more points in a 1-1 home draw with Girona on Friday, putting even more pressure on the Bayern tie.
“We want to still be playing for something at the end of the season,” Bellingham said. “It’s hugely important for us, for the club… Obviously it’s been a bit of a frustrating season for me, my first one like this, missing so many games with injury.
“Any loss in the Champions League feels like a disaster. Given the situation we’re in, we understand tomorrow is a final. We have to see it as an all or nothing game.”
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Arbeloa — whose long-term future as coach has been questioned after Madrid failed to win in their last three games, against Real Mallorca, Bayern and Girona — said the 2-1 first leg scoreline meant his side “don’t need to perform any miracles” in Munich.
“To begin with, we are Real Madrid,” Arbeloa said. “If there’s a team that comes to this stadium to turn things around, it’s us. If we won [the first leg], it wouldn’t have been anything crazy. Their goalkeeper [Manuel Neuer] was the MVP. We are capable of it.
“The Real Madrid coach believes, the players believe, and the club believes. There hasn’t been a single fan I’ve met these past few days who doesn’t believe we’re going to win.”
This post was originally published at ESPN
