Real Madrid wasn't supposed to still be this good after losing its top scorer this summer and being decimated by injuries. (More Football News)
But, in came Jude Bellingham and the England midfielder has keptꦇ Madrid on course to compete for titles t💎his season.
Madrid is leading La Liga and is the only team other than Manchester City to have won all five of its🐬 games in the Champio꧋ns League.
The key to the ongoing success of the 14-time European Cup winners can be boiled down to the dep🐟th and overall talent of its squad, and the incredible impact that Bellingham has made since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham led Madrid to another commanding victory on Wednesday when he scored his team-high 15th goal of the season to help beat Napoli 4-2 and remain perfect in 🦂the Champions League group staꦚge.
Madrid is also leading the title fight in 𓃲Spain, where it is in first place, level on points with Girona before hosting the relegation-threatened Granada on Saturday.
“He's been a wonderful signing,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said about Bellingham on Wednesday, before he dug deep to find a supposed flaw in his new star. “He needs to improve his Spanish because, like I have🌠 said, nobody's perfeꦿct.”
Madrid lost the pillars of its attack and defence when Karim Benzema, its꧋ top scorer for the five previous seasons, was lured with other European players to Saudi Arabia in June and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tore a knee ligament just before the season kicked off in August.
Then came more season-threatening injuries. Éder Militão, the team's best central defender, ruptured his ACL in the season opener, and🅷 Eduardo Camavinga, Madrid's most versati🌜le midfielder, tore a knee ligament while training with France this month.
Viníc🎃ius Júnior also went down during the most recent international break when he tore a leg muscle with Brazil, an injury that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the year.
Toss in minor injuries 🐼to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who came in to replace Cou🌟rtois, veteran leader Luka Modric, and starting holding midfielder Aurelien Tchouaméni, and it seems Madrid should have struggled against Serie A champion Napoli.
Instead, it rolled over the Italian club just like most of its riv🐷als this campaign. Its only loss this season came a𝓰t Atletico Madrid in the domestic league in September.
Bellingham leads La Liga with 11 goals, two more than At✨letico🃏's Antoine Griezmann.
Madrid also got a boost recently from Rodrygo. The Brazil forward is on a four-game scoring streak, during which he has netted six goals as he fills the void left by injured countrym𓆉an Vinícius.
“We're all playing well. We're scoring a lot of goals and defending well too. I think we're at our best at the moment,” Rodrygo said after scoring in the win over Napo🦩li.
Rodrygo finished Wednesday's game with cramps but he said he should be fine for the g🎉ame against 19th-placed Gra✅nada.
Ancelotti said that he hopes to🦋 have Modric back for🔥 a visit to Real Betis the following round.
“We can't get anyone back for Granada, but I think that Modric will be able to play against Betis,” he said. “We'll prepare for the match aಞgainst Granada with these players.”
Barcelona hosts Atletico oౠn Sunday with third place on the line and the loser in danger of falling behi🔜nd in the title chase.
The two are tied at four points behind Madri🦩d and Girona, which hosts Valencia on Saturday.
Atletico also has a game in hand to play.
