Joy for Jude as he savours first trophy at Real
JUDE BEllingham won his first trophy as a Real madrid player last night as they beat Barcelona 4-1 in Saudi arabia in the Spanish Super Cup final. he took just seven minutes to leave his mark on the game with a defence-splitting pass that sent Vinicius Jnr clear for the opener.
The England midfielder, 20, had two Barcelona players on top of him but his assist went past them both and in behind Jules Kounde who had stepped out, leaving
Vinicius a free run in behind. Vinicius then stole the show in Riyadh by scoring twice more before half-time, first from Rodrygo’s cross and then from the penalty spot after Ronald araujo had brought him down. Barcelona had pulled a goal back before the third, when alejandro Balde’s cross was headed out straight to Robert lewandowski who buried it. Bellingham was booked just before the break for a foul on Pedri but that, and lewandowski’s goal aside, it had been the perfect half for madrid.
They continued to dominate after the break, with a couple of Bellingham back-heel flicks the highlights of some long spells of possession, but madrid manager Carlo ancelotti wasn’t happy with the perceived showboating after the game. he said ‘Vinicius did it, Bellingham did it: i don’t like it.’
Both were taken off late on,
Vinicius after a spat with the Barca bench. By then he had made the fourth with a cross that Kounde cleared to Rodrygo, who scored. araujo completed Xavi’s misery when he was sent off for a swipe at Vinicius’ ankles. ‘i’m disappointed and sad,’ said the under-pressure Barcelona coach.