Jude Bellingham shines on his debut in the Clasico

Jude Bellingham's excitement was palpable and evident as he dismissed any talk of nervousness before his first Clasico playing for Real Madrid. 'This is going to be extremely fun,' he asserted.

Notwithstanding, during much of the game on Saturday, it was noticeable that Bellingham was not enjoying himself.

Both coaches concurred that there was no clear favourite before the kick-off. In the words of Xavi, 'It's quite uncommon to have a definite favourite in the Clasico'. This caused each team to approach the match with extreme caution. Ronald Araujo was brought in as an additional defender, specifically to counter Vinicius Junior, increasing Barcelona's backline to five. Fede Valverde, renowned for his relentless energy, was assigned to assist right-back Dani Carvajal on the other flank. The match saw one big opportunity for each side only.

The added defensive players curtailed Bellingham's freedom on the field, with one prominent figure from Barcelona's team this season proving particularly troublesome.

Fifty-three minutes into the game, with the guests behind after a messy goal by Ilkay Gundogan, Bellingham made the first run behind Barcelona's hitherto unchallenged backline for Real Madrid. However, his attempt to shoot was thwarted by a swift intervention from a Barcelona player.

From the onset of the match, Gavi was high on adrenaline, clearly enjoying his ninth Clasico at the youthful age of 19. This made him a year younger than Bellingham.

When the diminutive warrior successfully tackled Bellingham in the center of the pitch shortly before sixty minutes, the crowd responded energetically, chanting 'Gavi! Gavi!'. It became quite apparent to every person in Catalonia that stopping Bellingham was key.

Bellingham bore the bulk of Madrid's offensive pressure, as Araujo kept Vinicius in check, Rodrygo was in a period of low performance that had plagued his entire season, and Joselu started the game on the bench.

Nonetheless, despite playing almost seventy-five percent of the match, Bellingham had not taken a single shot and every one of his four dribbles had been blocked, largely by Gavi.

Ironically, it was Gavi who inadvertently directed a cross into Bellingham's path. With Bellingham standing almost equidistant from the center circle and Barcelona's penalty area, he capitalized on the opportunity and ripped a shot. It was only his fifth attempt from outside the penalty box all season, but it was well executed. Despite Marc-Andre ter Stegen's successful scramble across his line, he could only swipe at empty space as the ball abruptly veered into the corner.

Bellingham attributed his training with Luka Modric for his unusual assist earlier in the season. His breathtaking equalizer was seemingly inspired by Valverde's powerful style.

Bellingham was already thinking about a winning goal and didn't take time to strike his usual pose. Perhaps he anticipated there would be more time for that.

Bellingham's strike had altered the match's balance, leading to protests from the audience as Madrid steadily pushed forward in extra time.

Bellingham and Real Madrid owned the glory at ElClásico! During this incredible football event, the Englishman had his best goal yet for Real Madrid and scored the deciding goal in the 92nd minute.

While Modric failed to control a cross from Carvajal, he managed to divert the ball past Barcelona's Inigo Martinez with a dangling right foot. This allowed Bellingham to seize the bouncing ball after Oriol Romeu was nudged aside. The second goal, although not showcasing the same skill as the first one, brought him the same joy.

This time, Bellingham ran towards the corner flag and stopped just short, opening up his trademark embrace with a self-assured nod of his head. Clearly, he was fully aware of what he had just accomplished.

Though October isn't over yet, Bellingham has already scored more than ten goals in La Liga. This is more than what Zinedine Zidane, the previous wearer of Bellingham's number five jersey, achieved in any single season for Madrid.

The absence of pre-match apprehension in Bellingham is due to the mental preparation he undergoes before each match. He visualizes the field, his position, even specific smells, which helps him calm his nerves. However, even in his wildest daydreams, Bellingham couldn't have possibly conceived of such a significant and game-changing performance in his Clasico debut.