Champions League: Jude Bellingham's goal helps Real Madrid beat Juventus
What's the story
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Juventus in their latest Champions League clash, thanks to a crucial goal from Jude Bellingham. The England international scored his first goal of the season, helping his team maintain their perfect record in the tournament. This was Bellingham's first strike since the Club World Cup this summer and came after a long injury lay-off.
Comeback trail
Bellingham returns for Real Madrid
Bellingham's season has been marred by injury, with the midfielder starting just three matches and coming off the bench in four others. He had only played 10 minutes of European football this season before Wednesday's match against Juventus. The 22-year-old was instrumental in Real Madrid's triumphs last season, scoring 15 goals and providing 15 assists across competitions.
Match highlights
How did the match pan out?
The match started with Juventus putting pressure on Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, forcing him into two good saves. However, it was Bellingham who broke the deadlock in the second half. His goal came after Vinicius Jr's shot hit the post and he was quick to tap home a rebound. This proved to be the winning goal for Los Blancos, despite Juventus's late attempts to equalize through efforts from various players.
Details
Match stats and points table
Real clocked 26 attempts with nine shots on target. Juventus had 6 shots on target from 11 attempts. In terms of possession, Real dominated the scenes with 66%. They had a 93% pass accuracy. Real earned 13 corners compared to Juventus' 7. Xabi Alonso's men are 5th on the Champions League table. They are one of the 5 teams with a 100% win record from three matches. Meanwhile, Juventus are 25th. They own two draws and a defeat.
Information
39 goals in Real Madrid colors for Bellingham
Playing his 107th match for Los Blancos, Bellingham has raced to 39 goals. Notably, this was his first goal of the season. Apart from his 39 goals, the player also owns 27 assists for the club.
Opta stats
Alonso and Courtois enter Real Madrid history books
Alonso became the fifth manager to win his first three matches with Real Madrid in the Champions League, after Josef Heynckes, Carlos Queiroz, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. Real Madrid keeper Courtois made his 300th appearance for the club in all competitions. He is now the fourth goalkeeper with the most appearances in the history of the club, behind Iker Casillas (725), Paco Buyo (456) and Miguel Ángel (346).