GettyThe midfielder is playing in a more withdrawn role for Los Blancos this season – but that isn't necessarily a bad thing
Midway through the second half of Real Madrid's derby clash with Atletico on Sunday, Jude Bellingham was up for a fight. Antonio Rudiger was scrapping with two opposing centre-backs from a Madrid corner, and when the big German went to the ground, Bellingham rushed to his defence.
It's admittedly unclear what was said between Bellingham and Jose Gimenez – the language barrier might have had an impact there – but fighting words were clearly exchanged. A couple of half-shoves followed before cooler heads prevailed, but it was the testiness of it all that counted. This was a derby, one that had to be stopped due to fan violence, and in the middle of it all was a fired-up Bellingham.
It all marks a new, updated version of the former Borussia Dortmund man. Last season, Bellingham was the new striker on the block, the pseudo-Karim Benzema replacement who was, at one point, a genuine contender to score 40 goals in all competitions for the best team in Europe.
This campaign, however, the goals have dried up. Now, he's the left sided No.8 he was perhaps always supposed to be; the all-round, all-action, box-to-box player who can do a bit of everything. The goals might have dried up, but Bellingham is still as effective as ever – just in a different way.
