It may not have been a match for the ages, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham finally found himself before the south end with his arms outstretched, basking in the crowd's rendition of Hey Jude. After a lengthy layoff and uncertainty about his position, he netted his opening strike of the campaign, ultimately securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that made them work hard. “It was a tough battle,” commented the Belgian goalkeeper.
Decisive Stops Ensure the Win
Courtois understood better than anyone, having to rescue a one-on-one from the Serbian striker and produce another crucial save from the French midfielder in the dying moments. The win puts Madrid on a strong tally and Igor Tudor’s team outside the qualifying spots. After a game with plenty of attempts but little elegance, the visiting coach may consider a decent start, with those saves representing a wasted moment around the 85-minute mark; their current situation though makes for concerning reading.
“A side from Italy in trouble is doubly threatening,” Xabi Alonso had warned beforehand.
The Turin-based club, which were without a victory since September, posed Madrid issues at the start and again near the conclusion. Madrid dominated possession, 66%-34%, but Juventus were dangerous on the counter, particularly with the French defender surging forward and the striker combining, managing 12 shots compared to the hosts' 27.
Strong Opening for Visitors
They had started well, without a doubt. Within three minutes, they believed they were ahead, the forward somewhat unfortunate to be called for pulling Éder Militão. Three minutes later, the Madrid defender had to intervene ahead of him when Kalulu dashed clear on the right flank. And three minutes after that, the American midfielder's shot was deflected wide.
Next, from the defender's drive, was a even better stop. Fifteen minutes had passed. That said, soon the visitors' impetus had dissipated too. Madrid assumed command. Largely it was all a bit functional, however, and the top chances fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who wouldn’t be Alonso’s striker of choice. A couple were off target, a third took a deflection; another chance with the head was wasted by Militão.
Guler Shines
The best moments were provided by the young Turk. Güler, whose football was the closest there was to fluidity, was always involved. His clever control and spin saw him clip to the far post for Bellingham.
There was not much sign of the French superstar early on, but when he did appear it was the closest Madrid got to scoring. Initially his attempt was stopped by the Juventus keeper, who would produce eight saves. Then some exquisite dribbling saw him turn Andrea Cambiaso repeatedly until he went down to the turf and set up Militão to fire over.
Second-Half Drama
Militão threw himself to stop Kalulu at the outset of the second half, and then came the regulation Courtois rescue when unexpectedly the attacker was away. The “assist” had been remarkable, with Lloyd Kelly cutting out a pass inside his own area and the ball bouncing from the instep of his foot right through the middle to beyond the halfway line. Racing after it, huge space appearing, the striker raced Militão, using his strength and advancing into the box where the keeper saved.
Next the usual pattern happened, the stop made good by the score that follows it. A flash from the Brazilian winger set up it, working himself enough space amid four men to unleash a low, left-footed shot which struck the post. Positioned in that forward position was the goalscorer. The breakthrough found, Madrid should have finished it, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and the Uruguayan seeing his volley blocked by Gatti. Then Di Gregorio made a superb quick saves from the forward and the attacking midfielder.
It was not the only one: as the match was slipping away, the defender had to make a incredible last-ditch tackle as Madrid were exposed and at the mercy of Loïs Openda unmarked in the penalty box. Then in the final seconds Courtois flew in to stop the midfielder, his work done. For the visitors, there was no way back, the opening goal of the campaign the final of the match.
“I'm overjoyed, a long time now since I’ve found the net, a lot of time out and dreaming of that instant, returning in the elite competition and against a big team. To score a winner, here at home, it’s incredible. I felt comfortable, really good. To play well was crucial and to score the winning goal benefits the team a lot.”
Regarding his form, he added: “I didn’t think last year was a failure, with fifteen strikes, fourteen setups, but I know the perception was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we underperformed last year, there were still good moments but not the standard I aim to play at, not the level like the debut season. Now I’ve had my operation, a different coach, he’s got that shape, how we want to play…. You have to take lessons.”
