28 October 2023 , 17:41
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Marc-Andre ter Stegen refused to rate Jude Bellingham's outstanding performance in El Clasico, as the talismanic England midfielder scored twice give Real Madrid a dramatic 2-1 win.
Having gone behind in Catalunya to an Ilkay Gundogan strike after just six minutes, Bellingham inspired Real's comeback by dominating the second half. The 20-year-old, facing arch enemies Barcelona for the first time as a Los Blancos player, took aim from 25 yards out and scored a spectacular equaliser which left goalkeeper Ter Stegen with no chance.
Then in the 92nd minute, when the clash looked to be heading towards a 1-1 draw, Bellingham scored a tap-in to earn his new side all three points on enemy territory. The midfielder's double continued his exceptional start to life with Real since his £88million transfer move from German side Borussia Dortmund this summer.
Ter Stegen, though, refused to laud Bellingham after being asked to assess his rival's performance while speaking to La Liga's media channel post-match. "I don't rate opposition players," Barca's captain coldly replied. "In the end he was the one who scored both goals and won the match for Real Madrid."
Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti was, unsurprisingly, happy to rate the Englishman's talismanic display and hailed: "Bellingham is like a veteran. He has a very good attitude.
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"The equalising goal changed the dynamic of the game. It gave us more strength and more energy while it made Barca weaker because until that moment they had played better."
Ancelotti went on to label Bellingham "the difference maker" for the Madrid giants. "In what position he will be in the Ballon d'Or, I don't know," Ancelotti then admitted. "I didn't know there was a Ballon d'Or taking place on Monday. I don't care much."
Have your say! Is Jude Bellingham the best player in the world right now? Let us know your pick in the comments section.
Jude Belingham led Real Madrid to a dramatic 2-1 victory in Saturday's El Clasico (Sergio Ruiz / Pressinphoto / Icon Sport)Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Xavi confessed that his team weren't clinical enough to win the first Clasico of the season, leaving them four points behind Real after 11 games with an inferior goal difference. "The players in the dressing room are talking about a potential penalty kick," Xavi revealed.
"I don't know, I didn't see it. It's not important. We didn't lose because of that. We lost because we were not effective." On the star of the show at the Montjuic, Xavi added: "Bellingham is a great footballer of course, and he made the difference. In the second goal, he runs late into the box, and we had talked about that play before the match. It's our mistake when defending."