Remarkable Bellingham on the path to greatness after knocking out Man City | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham looks like he made the right call in choosing Real Madrid over Manchester City and others as he helped the Kings of Europe into the Champions League semi-finals by shooting down Pep Guardiola’s men on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old Englishman was central to Madrid’s win on penalties at the Etihad that sets them up for a semi-final showdown with Bayern Munich, conquerors of Arsenal.

It is remarkable how much influence Bellingham has had already. There was a time that if you’d have suggested that Real Madrid’s best player, technically and tactically, was an Englishman, you would have been laughed out of town.

Steve McManaman, David Beckham and Michael Owen have worn the famous white of Madrid, but they were all considered somewhat lesser players than their team-mates, hard-working and wholehearted, but short on the sort of technique and tactical nous that was needed to be considered royalty at Real.

So it scarcely credible that Bellingham, the boy from Birmingham who has yet to reach his 21st birthday, strides like a colossus across the pitch, the most influential Madridista already in his first season at the club, reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane in the way he moves and dictates play. He also wears the famous number five shirt.

And just like Zizou, Bellingham has a delicate touch that belies his size. He demonstrated it to devastating effect when Rodrygo scored the 12th minute goal that stunned City.

Dani Carvajal’s hopeful punt down the middle needed expert control and Bellingham did not disappoint, taking the dropping ball down with an exquisite touch, turned past two players and set Federico Valverde away. When the ball reached Vinicius Junior in space on the right, a goal was on the cards, and Rodrygo eventually put the ball away.

Carlo Ancelotti had surprised Pep Guardiola by switching Rodrygo from right to left wing and playing Vinicius Junior more as a false nine. But central to it all, physically and metaphorically, was Bellingham, for an hour or so running the show from the centre of the pitch as majestically as Luka Modric used to do in the most recent incarnation of Real Madrid as kings of Europe.

This is not a great Real Madrid side – yet. But with Bellingham at its heart, and the two young Brazilians up front about to be joined by Kylian Mbappe next summer, there is every chance they will return to the summit of European football.

Bellingham had said in his pre-match press conference that he had been in conversation with some leading clubs, including City, before leaving Borussia Dortmund last summer, but once Real Madrid came knocking his decision was a no-brainer.

And now he is their most influential player, leading by example, prompting more experienced team-mates into position, and never giving up. Bellingham played the full two hours, and tucked away hs penalty confidently. His celebrations at the end showed what it meant to him.

At 20, he already looks to have the talent and staying power to be one of the best in the world for years to come.