Real Madrid entered the Christmas break at the top of the La Liga rankings and after winning all the Champions League group stages. Despite continuous bad news about extremely serious injuries (most recently that of David Alaba in the match against Villarreal), Carlo Ancelotti’s army marched at breakneck speed in the first phase of the season, only suffered defeat in 24 matches. Their winning rate exceeds 83%.
Girona’s draw with Real Betis and Real Madrid’s narrow victory at Alaves allowed the white shirt team to take the top spot in the table with equal points. Los Blancos have won 14 out of 18 matches in La Liga, reaching a rate of 77.7%, with 3 draws (Sevilla, Rayo and Betis) and the only defeat was in the Madrid derby in round 6 (September 24). Thus, for 99 days the white-shirted army has not lost a single battle.
Ancelotti led Real Madrid through an excellent first half of the season
Real Madrid had no big problems taking first place in the Champions League group stage, where they competed with Napoli, Sporting Braga and Union Berlin. Ceballos’ late goal in the German capital helped them win for the third time in a Champions League group stage, after the 2011/12 and 2014/15 seasons.
Real Madrid and Girona’s 14 wins are the most in the top 10 European leagues, surpassing Inter and Leverkusen (13), Bayern, Aston Villa, Arsenal and PSG (12), although Spain is the The tournament has the most rounds played (18). If counted in all competitions, only Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen (Europa League) surpasses the total number of wins of Ancelotti’s team (22 compared to 20).
The great protagonist of the first half of the season at Real Madrid was undoubtedly Jude Bellingham, who arrived at the club in the summer from Borussia Dortmund (for 103 million euros plus bonuses) and became a great reinforcement for the team. ball.
Bellingham is a key factor in Real Madrid’s success
After Benzema’s unexpected departure, coach Ancelotti designed a system to improve the English player’s quality and the results were optimal. In just 4 months of competition, Bellingham has surpassed the best scoring mark of his career (scoring 17 goals compared to 14 goals last season in Germany) and appears in the group of best scorers in Europe, even if only a midfielder. Leading the way is Harry Kane (25 goals for Bayern), followed by Mbappe (21), Guirassy and Haaland (19) and then Real Madrid’s number 5, who has the same number of goals as Lautaro Martinez.
However, beyond his attacking weight, Bellingham has become a leader in Madrid. His ability to play almost any position on the field, fighting spirit and talent made him a favorite in the stands.
