While it wasn't a classic encounter, the roar from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. After a long wait, Jude Bellingham once again found himself before the south end with his arms outstretched, basking in the fans' rendition of Hey Jude. Following a lengthy layoff and uncertainty about his role, he netted his opening strike of the campaign, ultimately delivering a narrow win for Real Madrid over a Juventus side that put up a fight. “We had to sweat for it,” commented Thibaut Courtois.
Key Saves Ensure the Win
The shot-stopper understood perfectly well, having to save a one-on-one from Dušan Vlahović and make another crucial stop from Khéphren Thuram in the final minute. The win puts Madrid on nine points and the opposition team outside the qualifying spots. After a game with plenty of attempts but little elegance, the visiting coach may reflect on a decent start, with those opportunities representing a wasted moment around the closing stages; their current situation however presents concerning reading.
“A side from Italy in difficulty is twice as dangerous,” Xabi Alonso had remarked in advance.
Juventus, who hadn’t won since September, did cause Madrid problems at the beginning and once more near the conclusion. Madrid dominated the ball, with a significant advantage, but Juventus were dangerous on the break, especially with Pierre Kalulu running and the striker combining, managing a dozen attempts compared to the hosts' twenty-seven.
Strong Opening for Away Side
The visitors began brightly, without a doubt. After just three minutes, they believed they were ahead, Vlahović a little unfortunate to be called for pulling the Brazilian defender. Shortly after, the Madrid defender had to intervene ahead of Vlahović when Kalulu broke free on the right flank. Then soon after, Weston McKennie's shot was deflected wide.
What followed, from the defender's powerful strike, was a more impressive save. A quarter of an hour had gone. That said, quickly the visitors' impetus had faded too. Madrid took control. Mostly it was all a bit functional, however, and the top chances fell to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is not Alonso’s striker of choice. A couple were headed over, a third one deflected wide; an additional headed opportunity was missed by the center-back.
Turkish Talent Impresses
Most creative play were provided by the young Turk. The Turk, whose football was the nearest thing there was to fluidity, was constantly in the action. His clever control and spin saw him deliver to the back post for the Englishman.
Little was seen of the French superstar early on, but when he did appear it was the closest Madrid got to a goal. First his shot was stopped by the Juventus keeper, who would produce several stops. Then some lovely fast footwork saw him turn the full-back repeatedly until he went down to the turf and laid off to Militão to blast over.
Late Tension
The Brazilian dived to stop Kalulu at the start of the second half, and then came the regulation Courtois rescue when unexpectedly Vlahović was through. The “inadvertent pass” had been quite something, with the defender intercepting a ball inside his own area and the sphere bouncing from the inside of his foot directly through the center to beyond the halfway line. Racing after it, huge space opening, the striker raced Militão, using his strength and advancing into the box where Courtois made the stop.
Then what tends to happen occurred, the stop compensated for by the goal that follows it. A flash from Vinícius Júnior created it, creating enough room amid multiple defenders to release a driven effort which struck the upright. Lurking in that forward position was Bellingham. The breakthrough found, Madrid should have finished it, the Frenchman stopped by the keeper and Fede Valverde seeing his volley deflected by the defender. Then the Juventus goalkeeper made a brilliant double stop from Mbappé and the attacking midfielder.
There were more scares: as the match was slipping away, Raúl Asencio had to make a stunning sliding block as Madrid were opened up and at the risk of Loïs Openda momentarily alone in the penalty box. Then in the final seconds Courtois dived to deny the midfielder, his work done. For the visitors, there was no way back, the opening goal of the season the last of the encounter.
“I'm overjoyed, a long time now since I’ve found the net, a period out and dreaming of that instant, returning in the Champions League and against a major opponent. To get the decisive goal, in our stadium, it’s incredible. I felt comfortable, really good. To perform was important and to net the match-winner benefits the team greatly.”
As for his form, he added: “It wasn't that last year was a failure, still fifteen strikes, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling 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 level I aim to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a new manager, he’s got that shape, how we want to play…. You have to learn from it.”
