Real Madrid ace, Jude Bellingham, has stirred the pot ahead of Los Blancos’ quarter-final second-leg game against Man City.
The tie is nicely poised at three apiece, and with away goals no longer counting double, if the teams can’t be separated after another 90 minutes, the match will go to extra-time and, perhaps, penalties.
Clearly, Real will have to do much better than in last season’s semi-final game at the Etihad Stadium, when they were played off the park and humbled 4-0 by Pep Guardiola’s side.
City would go on to claim a treble of course, Guardiola becoming the first man to achieve the feat twice at the top level, having done so in the 2008/09 season with Barcelona.
Despite winning all three trophies the Cityzens wanted to improve their playing squad last summer, and it’s believed that Bellingham was a genuine target for the club.
Bellingham admitted as much in his pre-match press conference, whilst delivering a withering put down of the club at the same time.
???????? Bellingham: “Man City interest last summer? I spoke to lot of clubs but as soon as Real Madrid came in, it was a no brainer”.
“I didn’t even need to think”.
“Real Madrid project, the future plans, the players… I jumped at the decision to join them. No other way”. pic.twitter.com/7nldHXCSRJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 16, 2024
“Man City interest last summer? I spoke to lot of clubs but as soon as Real Madrid came in, it was a no brainer,” he was quoted as saying via Fabrizio Romano’s official X account.
“I didn’t even need to think. Real Madrid project, the future plans, the players… I jumped at the decision to join them. No other way.”
If City were to triumph over Real Madrid for the second season in a row, Bellingham might end up looking a little silly.
Of course any player is free to choose whichever team he wishes, though it’s arguable City’s project is quite a bit further forward than Real’s at this point.
It’s worth pointing out though that the England international has fitted into Carlo Ancelotti’s side like hand-in-glove, so from a playing perspective at this stage, one has to say that he’s made the right choice in that respect.
What will be interesting to see is the trajectories of both clubs over the coming few seasons, and whether Bellingham’s words come back to haunt him or not.
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