Jude Bellingham 'admires' Barcelona! England star tells friends that he loves how Real Madrid's bitter rivals play under Hansi Flick

According to Catalunya Radio, Bellingham has expressed his admiration within his inner circle, specifically highlighting how Barcelona’s players appear to know their roles instinctively. This revelation comes in the wake of Real Madrid’s struggles against their archrivals in recent clashes, leaving many in the Spanish capital questioning whether the English midfielder was questioning Real's own tactical shortcomings.

While Real Madrid currently enjoy a seven-point lead over Barcelona in La Liga, their two recent Clasico defeats have left a lasting mark. A humiliating 4-0 loss at the Santiago Bernabéu in La Liga and a 5-2 defeat in Saudi Arabia in the Spanish Super Cup final have exposed vulnerabilities in Carlo Ancelotti’s system, leading to criticism of the Italian manager’s tactical setup.

Bellingham’s rise has been nothing short of extraordinary after joining Real Madrid. In the previous campaign, he emerged as the match-winner in both the Clasicos in La Liga with two sensational strikes. Although he could hardly impress in the two defeats this season, he has rediscovered his goal-scoring form after a dull start to the campaign. In fact, after providing two assists against RB Salzburg in their latest European fixture, he matched identical Champions League numbers posted by Lionel Messi at the age of 21.

Real Madrid, fresh off a commanding 5-1 victory over RB Salzburg in the Champions League, will face Real Valladolid in their next La Liga fixture. Meanwhile, Barcelona will host Valencia on Sunday as they aim to regain ground in the league.