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Jude Bellingham matches Lionel Messi's Champions League record but loses out to Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland

Bellingham matches Messi: Galactico midfielder goes level with Argentine icon
© Imago
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham matches Lionel Messi's Champions League record but is still short of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

Jude Bellingham has matched Lionel Messi's Champions League goal contributions tally for players aged 21 and under against Red Bull Salzburg, but he is still short of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Real Madrid beat Salzburg 5-1 on Wednesday night in the Champions League, with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior both scoring braces against the Austrian side.

The result secured Los Blancos a round of 16 playoff spot and has brought boss Carlo Ancelotti some respite after he faced scrutiny for his side's struggles in Europe this term.

Bellingham managed to assist both of Rodrygo's goals in the first half and in doing so saw his Champions League goal contributions tally rise to 24 - 11 goals and 13 assists - despite being just 21 years old.

At the same age, Messi produced 17 goals and seven assists for Barcelona in Europe's Premier competition, though both fall short of Haaland and Mbappe, who provided 37 and 26 goal contributions respectively before turning 22.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham on October 26, 2024© Imago

The numbers behind Bellingham's remarkable career

Bellingham has faced significantly more criticism so far this season than he did in 2023-24, with the midfielder having averaged 0.48 goals per 90 in La Liga, significantly less than the 0.74 he managed last campaign.

A drop-off in regard to output was perhaps inevitable given Los Blancos have struggled with injuries this term and have also struggled to integrate Mbappe into their attacking setup.

However, the England midfielder has still produced nine goals and nine assists for his club in 2024-25, and his 18 goal contributions are just three fewer than Mbappe despite playing over 200 fewer minutes than the Frenchman.

The 21-year-old has now scored 32 goals and provided 22 assists in just 70 matches in all competitions for Real, and it should be remembered that he has done so from midfield.

Bellingham has also covered the most distance in the Champions League of any player in Ancelotti's squad and has recorded the second-highest speed of any midfielder at the club in Europe.

If Real Madrid are to retain their European crown, they will be need the Englishman to be at his very best, especially as Los Blancos may have to compete in a two-legged round of 16 playoff tie.

There is still a chance that Bellingham's side could qualify automatically for the round of 16 given they are just one point from the top eight with one game remaining, but they will need results to go their way in order to do so.

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Written by
Lewis Nolan

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid23155351222950
2Atletico MadridAtletico23147238152349
3Barcelona23153564253948
4Athletic Bilbao23128336201644
5Villarreal23117546341240
6Rayo Vallecano239862724335
7Real Sociedad2394102020031
8GironaGirona2394103133-231
9Osasuna2371062832-431
10Mallorca2394102029-931
11Real BetisBetis237882731-429
12Celta Vigo2384113437-328
13Sevilla237792534-928
14Getafe236981817127
15Las PalmasLas Palmas2365122838-1023
16Espanyol2365122235-1323
17Leganes2358101932-1323
18Valencia2357112437-1322
19AlavesAlaves2356122535-1021
20Real ValladolidValladolid2343161548-3315


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