Jude Bellingham splits opinion in Spanish press with game of two halves for Real Madrid against Athletic Club

Real Madrid looked to be crashing out of La Liga's title race on Sunday evening, with Los Blancos level with Athletic Club as their clash entered the final stages of injury time at Santiago Bernabeu. However, Fede Valverde's 93rd-minute rocket found Unai Simon's top corner to keep Real four points off Barcelona at the top. Bellingham started between Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in attack, a position that suited him last season. However, he did not have as good an outing against Los Leones as expected.

Rating Bellingham's performance as a moderate six out of ten, Sport wrote: "He can't find his place. In the first half, he proved to be the player who has lost the most compared to last season. He played in the attacking midfield and even as a striker, but it's not a question of position, but rather of finesse. That's what was missing after an exquisite cross from Vinicius. He tried hard to find the back of the net, but he's far from the accuracy that made him the box-to-box winner last season."

Marca were slightly more impressed by the moments produced by the England international: "The Englishman was one of the most incisive players in the second half, coming close to scoring twice with his header in less than a minute. The first came after a spectacular cross from Vini with his left foot, which Bellingham reached from behind to connect with a powerful header that Unai cleared for a corner. That same corner, taken by Modric, was headed in by Jude, but his header just missed the post. After a long time, Bellingham was once again the player who could be decisive playing close to the box."

Mundo Deportivo did not have much to say about Bellingham, however, as they awarded the midfielder a measly one star of three for his first-half struggles, whileAS were a little less critical as they awarded him two stars out of five and wrote: "Bellingham and Rodrygo were nowhere to be seen. The break in the locker room changed Madrid and changed the game. It was Bellingham who acted as such, with two headers that could have gone in. Unai Simon saved his first."

Opposition fans are pleased with Bellingham's drop in form as @MusialaEra wrote on X: "Jude Bellingham has mastered the art of looking busy on a football pitch. The casuals love it, the analytics guys love it, I see through it. He is not elite in any sense of the word, closer to a Scott McTominay than a Pedri or a Musiala. A 3/10 on his best day. Overrated."

@Fcb_victor said: "Bellingham has already lost 3 duels and we're just 10 minutes in."

@upt_china added on X: "Bellingham couldn't even eat against Bilbao's 2nd team. How did we let him be compared to Pedri???"

@RkFutbol continued: "Jude Bellingham was shocking in the 1st half. In the 2nd half however he was quite literally everywhere and looked like a different player. Did a good job in pinning Athletic back."

Real Madrid fan @victoribah added: "Bellingham has been worse than all the players we’ve been blaming recently tho. Make that one just dey everybody head."

Bellingham's effectiveness has fallen off this season at Real Madrid as the Englishman has been shifted from his role as an advanced No.10 or false nine to a regular midfielder following the introduction of Kylian Mbappe. With the Frenchman set to return to action this midweek, Bellingham will likely be shifted back for the clash with city rivals Getafe.