The damning numbers that accompany Real Madrid's dependence on Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid’s biggest success this season is gradually turning into their biggest area for improvement. Jude Bellingham has had the attack structured around him by Carlo Ancelotti this season to devastating effect, with the Englishman scoring 13 times in 14 appearances this season. Yet when he doesn’t score, Los Blancos are struggling to find a response from elsewhere.

In every game Bellingham has scored, Real Madrid have won. Diario AS also say that he is responsible for 44.8% of their goals, giving credence to the idea that if you stop Bellingham, that is half of the job. While the season is young, this is the highest ever share of goals that one player has been responsible for in a Real Madrid shirt.

Bellingham has failed to score on five occasions this season: Las Palmas (did not play), Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. On three of those occasions, Los Blancos could not win, taking two draws against Sevilla and Rayo, and a defeat to Atletico.

Meanwhile those around him are struggling to hit the net. Vinicius Junior did suffer an injury, but his three goals and two assists compare unfavourably to five goals and four assists at this stage last season. Rodrygo has just two goals and one assist, compared to 10 (5 + 5) goal contributions last season.

A major part of the issues stem from the fact that Karim Benzema was only replaced by Joselu Mato, brought in primarily to be a rotational option. He does have five goals this season (one every 151 minutes), but Benzema had already hit seven. Joselu at least is scoring at a rate that would allow him to hit 18 goals for the campaign, one more than he scored with Espanyol last season.

Relevo note that on current projection, Vinicius would score 14 goals