Bellingham in danger… How did the wonderkid pull the rug out from under Real Madrid’s stars?

According to the Spanish newspaper *AS*, Pitarch is currently living up to the saying ‘youth is a precious treasure’; the player, who made his debut for the team just 50 days ago – specifically on 17 February at the Da Luz stadium – has become an indispensable part of the squad, something no one could have imagined at the time. However, this integration between the player and the Bernabéu has changed everything, giving the team a shot of ‘adrenaline’ at a crucial stage of the season, helping the club reach the quarter-finals after all they have been through.

Real Madrid will go into their clash against the Bavarian giants on the basis of sheer merit, as the statistics show that the team is better off with Thiago, and the player himself is developing as part of the squad.

Manager Arbeloa made a sensible decision in the previous match at Son Moix to rest the team’s stars, including Thiago and Vinícius Júnior, to ensure they were in peak physical condition for tonight’s clash, which confirms that the pair will start against Bayern Munich.

Tiago is entering a new phase as he makes his tenth appearance for the first team, including five in the Champions League – a competition reserved for the elite – and this will be his seventh start, having managed to edge out players such as Camavinga and Arda Güler. indeed, Güler’s position has become tied to this ‘diamond’ sitting on the bench, even when Bellingham returns to full fitness, bearing in mind that the team has lost only once with Tiago in the starting line-up, against Getafe.

Tiago’s brief career has seen some spectacular moments, starting with his contribution to the victory over Balados on a night when only 14 first-team players were called up, followed by the resounding win over Elche and the victory in the ‘derby’, culminating in the greatest achievement: the elimination of Manchester City. It was a match that cemented his place in the team after he neutralised the opposition’s threat and displaced Camavinga from his position, remaining unshaken despite the eyes of the world watching for Madrid’s downfall, but the team proved its footballing ‘immortality’ and knocked City out at their own ground, a performance that prompted the club to take the official decision to promote him to the first team permanently from next season.

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Since then, Tiago’s talent has been beyond dispute; he is a ‘utility player’ who helps with ball progression and possesses an exceptional ability to play at speed or drive forward depending on the demands of the match, as well as excelling in the final pass and shooting. This brilliance has caught the eye of the Moroccan national team, which is making strenuous efforts to persuade him to represent the ‘Lions of the Atlas’. However, the player’s stance is clear and firm: he wishes to play for Spain and makes no secret of it.

It is only a matter of time before Thiago is called up to the Spanish senior squad, whether that happens for the World Cup squad or afterwards, especially as he continues to progress successfully through the youth ranks. and today all eyes will be on him at the Santiago Bernabéu as a starter, benefiting also from the fact that Jude Bellingham is not 100% fit, as the coaching staff prefer to save Bellingham’s energy for the return leg in Munich, so that Real Madrid can go into the quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich under one motto: that ‘the boy’ Thiago is untouchable.