Jude Bellingham's Mixed Emotions After Real Madrid's Champions League Win

Jude Bellingham walked off the pitch at the Bernabéu with three points in his pocket and a frown on his face.

Real Madrid had just opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but the scoreline told only part of the story. The Italian champions pushed Madrid hard, and Bellingham didn’t try to dress it up.

“We struggled at times against a very strong team,” he admitted afterwards. “They are deserving Italian champions, and there were moments when we made them suffer, especially on the counter-attacks, when we were passing the ball well.”

Madrid’s transitions did hurt Inter, yet the familiar frustration of missed chances crept back in. Bellingham drew a straight line between this European night and their domestic stumble a few days earlier.

“Something similar happened against Real Betis at the end of last week, when we failed to take our chances,” he said, pointing to a pattern that clearly annoys him.

Real could have killed the game. They didn’t. Inter stayed alive, and the tension lingered until the final whistle.

“We could have finished the match with an easier scoreline,” Bellingham admitted. “We had chances, myself included, but in the Champions League there are bound to be difficult moments.”

Those difficult moments were softened by a defensive unit that, in his eyes, largely did its job. One goal conceded, but plenty of danger repelled.

“We conceded only one goal, and the defenders were excellent, but big teams find gaps in our defence. And Courtois was brilliant,” he said. “Not everything was bad, but there is still room for improvement. The most important thing is the three points.”

If Madrid were wasteful, Bellingham put himself at the front of the queue. Twice he thought he had Inter beaten. Twice he ran into a goalkeeper in inspired form.

“I thought I was going to score,” he said. “The first time, the goalkeeper suddenly appeared. The ball reached me and I said to myself: ‘It’s a goal.’ But he cleared it suddenly.”

The second chance stung just as much.

“The second time, I saw the ball a little late, and there were players in the middle, I tried to control it and struck it well. But once again, the goalkeeper saved it superbly.”

His verdict on the night was honest and sharp, mixing satisfaction with an edge of irritation that will sit with him until the next game.

“It’s frustrating, because it would have made things easier for us if I had scored, but it’s part of the game. On another day, these shots will go in.”

Madrid have their win. Bellingham has his standard set even higher. The Champions League campaign has only just begun, but he is already demanding more.