Jude Bellingham set for first El Clasico with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu

The Englishman was Real Madrid’s hero in the previous game against Barcelona in Catalonia and he’ll now have the chance to play this rivalry match in front of his own fans.

Although Jude Bellingham has already played Barcelona twice as a Real Madrid player and won on both occasions, Sunday’s game at the Bernabeu will be extra special for him. It will be his first Clasico in front of his home fans and he will finally enjoy the experience of a Real Madrid-Barcelona game in Spain’s capital, with the stands packed to the rafters and with the La Liga title at stake. It’ll be a golden opportunity to further underline his hero status in front of the Real Madrid fans.

His first season at Real Madrid is exceeding expectations. He was already the key man in the first El Clasico of the season in Catalonia, where he scored two goals to turn the game around and give Carlo Ancelotti’s team all three points. His trademark celebration, standing with his arms raised, was seen that day and has become very popular, with so many copying him, from kids in school playgrounds to fellow professionals. That’s a sign of how important the Englishman has been in this brilliant debut season.

Although Girona striker Artem Dovbyk has now scored 17 goals and overtaken Bellingham, who has 16, in the Pichichi Trophy standings, there are seven rounds remaining in this final stretch. He’ll try to reclaim top spot and become the second midfielder in the history of La Liga to finish as top scorer, after Luis Aragones in 1970.  Of his seven remaining opponents, he scored against four of them in the first half of this season: Barcelona, Cadiz, Villarreal and Real Betis.

In the match against Barcelona, he will once again be a key presence in Ancelotti’s midfield,