Jude Bellingham scored his first goal since returning from injury to give Real Madrid a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday. The win maintains Madrid's perfect record in the competition this season. Bellingham tapped in a rebound in the 58th minute after a dynamic run and shot from Vinicius Jr struck the post.
The match at the Santiago Bernabeu was largely cagey until the second half. Juventus started brightly and had a significant chance when Dusan Vlahovic broke clear, outpacing Eder Militao, but his shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois. The Real Madrid goalkeeper, making his 300th appearance for the club, also made crucial saves early on and a vital stop from Filip Kostic in added time to preserve the lead.
Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was equally busy, making several impressive saves, including denying Kylian Mbappe twice and Brahim Diaz once. Mbappe's failure to score ended an 11-game scoring streak for club and country. The match also saw a moment of controversy when Francisco Conceicao avoided a red card after tangling with Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso praised Bellingham's performance, calling him "one of the most complete players in the world." Alonso added, "Jude played a really complete game, over and above the goal... He's giving such good sensations with how competitive he is and how he creates dangerous situations." Courtois also commented, stating, "Bellingham and Vinicius produced the magic for the goal. Jude's getting back to his best, played a top match tonight."
The win leaves Real Madrid with nine points from three games, stating their position in the group. Juventus, meanwhile, remains winless in the competition with just two points and extends their overall winless run to seven matches across all competitions. Real Madrid will now turn its attention to the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona on Sunday.
