The headline plastered across the front of the Madrid daily, As, proclaimed ‘Campeon Virtual’ - ‘Virtually champions’ - but the accompanying image spoke far louder.
It captured Jude Bellingham in what has become his trademark stance, arms outstretched on the Bernabeu turf, wearing a look which screamed ‘imperious after the goal which takes Real Madrid within touching distance of the title.
‘Hey Jude’, part of the soundtrack of this city now, was being hollered out of the Madrileno squares and the bars deep into Sunday night and broadcast far beyond. ‘Madrid has crossed borders,’ As columnist Tomas Roncero wrote, when the dust had settled on the 3-2 win. ‘My phone is full of videos of Madrid fans across the planet, singing that song.’
Bellingham has adopted that stance in Spanish cities coast-to-coat this season, though his Clasicos have been an emblem of an introduction for the ages and the fact that he is a threat to the very last
On Catalonian soil at Montjuic in October it was a 92nd minute winner, taking Madrid to the top of the table and inflicting a first defeat of the season on Barcelona. His intervention came fractionally earlier on Sunday. A mere 91 minutes had elapsed before he accelerated into the back of the box and struck the ball into the roof of the net with his left boot.
This city can hardly believe its good fortune. Kylian Mbappe flashed his eyelashes at Real but did not materialise, yet the boy from Birmingham has delivered as much, if not more than, the French star might ever have done. Not least, those Clasicos denouements. ‘Bendito Bellingham,’ (‘Blessed Bellingham’) Rincero wrote. ‘Blessed was the hour in which this tall, educated and model Englishman decided to give up the Sheikh dollars of City, and
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