Jude Bellingham's sophomore slump: Can England's superstar rediscover his Clasico magic and save Real Madrid's season - or does he need recharging this summer?

Immediately, the criticisms came. In fairness, we could all see it coming. At its most fundamental form it's a mathematical equation. Real Madrid were always going to score lots of goals. Vinicius Jr was going to score a lot - but not so many, as we have since found out. Kylian Mbappe was going to score more. Rodrygo would get a few, too. A withdrawn Bellingham was always going to be finding the net less.

The issue was, he didn't quite know where he was supposed to be. While Vinicius and Mbappe were doing a pretty good job of getting in each other's way, Bellingham tried to occupy the spaces in between. He did a lot of selfless running, trying to occupy defenders and, at times, outright staying away from the goal. There were already too many cooks in the kitchen - Madrid didn't need another. The issue is, this isn't a club where you get credit for selflessness, or the runs you make to free up space for others. Playing in the Spanish capital is a results-based business, and Bellingham wasn't finding the net.

This, of course, ran in stark contrast to his debut season, where he was, at one point, on pace for 40 goals. He broke records set by Cristiano Ronaldo. His first three months were arguably the best of any Madrid signing ever. There was always going to be something of a drop off, with Ancelotti defending him ardently at the start of the season.

"He is contributing with work, which is very important for us. Last year it was crucial that he scored goals because we had lost an important striker like Benzema. We don’t have that problem this year because we have a player who can score 45 goals," the manager said in October.

But running isn't sexy in a stats-based world. Bellingham is a brand. He's a celebration, a moment, a bicycle kick to save his country in the Euros, a 30-yard banger to win El Clasico. These are the moments that defined his debut season. And for a while, they were gone.

The best way to silence his critics, it turned out, was to find his mojo again. And he did so in style. He found the net for the first time in 12 contests with a delightful lob against Osasuna on November 9. Even he seemed to know it was a big moment, taking to Instagram to thank fans for their support.

"Even in sh*t times, giving up is not an option. Madridistas, thank you for your incredible support in the good moments and the bad ones," he said following Los Blancos' win.

And then the swagger came back. Bellingham found the net for five straight games - becoming the first Madridista to achieve the feat since Benzema. He provided arguably his biggest moment of the season to date to cap off the streak, a dazzling run and finish against Atalanta to drag Los Blancos into the Champions League knockouts after a dismal start to the European campaign. Injuries only bolstered his numbers. Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo all missed matches, allowing Bellingham to get into more advanced areas. The results were clear to see.

Then the good vibes petered out. it's hard to pinpoint an exact moment where it all went wrong. Certainly, the return of Vinicius, Rodrygo and Mbappe left Madrid asking tactical questions once again. But Bellingham was reduced back to a runner, and lost his swagger in front of goal. He missed a few chances, and tried to do too much when he had the ball. The Supercopa de Espana final summed it all up, where the Englishman was run ragged by the Barcelona midfield in a 5-2 battering. He was hammered by fans on social media, and blamed for the defeat, never mind that Vinicius went missing, while Lucas Vazquez was torn apart by Raphinha.

And then came the most baffling moment of Madrid's season. For the millionth time, it does not really matter if Bellingham told a referee to "f*ck off" or said "f*ck you." The fact remains that he singled out an official and went out of his way to say something that is against the rules of the game. That is where the story should end. Bellingham was sent off, and Spanish media went wild. Ultimately, though, rules are rules. The red card was deserved. It all became layered into one massive refereeing debate in Madrid, the club's TV channel using it as further ammunition for the alleged Spanish football federation's agenda against them. True or not - Bellingham made a mistake.

It's one that he hasn't recovered from. He was banned for two matches, and never quite found his best after. In the three months since that incident, he has found the net just twice. Los Blancos have struggled around him, and Bellingham has looked lost.

These are problems that can - and will - plague any professional athlete at some point. Bellingham, remember, is not yet 22 years old. He is still immensely talented for his age, and a true superstar. If he isn't the best centre midfielder in the world, there aren't many that are genuinely better than him. This season, it seems to have been a perfect storm of incidents that have seen his form drop off.

Madrid's problems start and end with Mbappe. The forward has thrown a massive spanner into the harmony of this Madrid side. Suddenly, a whole team has to buckle at the ego of one French superstar. He might score 45 goals, but Mbappe is a problem, and he does not make Madrid better. Bellingham is covering all of the ground that his team-mate refuses to. It's an immediate disadvantage. There are other issues, too. Ancelotti, for all of his managerial wisdom, has tinkered with his Blancos system relentlessly, most recently resigning himself to fate, setting up in a 4-4-2, and trusting that everyone else will work hard while Vinicius and Mbappe chill out up front. What, exactly, is Bellingham supposed to do with that?

Combine that with a few knocks, a shoulder injury that won't go away, and increased scrutiny into his personal life, and it must be admittedly difficult to be Bellingham at the moment - especially after his boy-wonder status last year.

Run the numbers, peer over the evidence, look at the circumstances, and it's pretty clear: Bellingham needs a summer off. His shoulder has been problematic since the start of 2024. He has taken a protective brace on and off over the course of the season, and seemed to injure the area again in January, only electing to play through the knock. It was reported in September that he probably needs an operation to sort it all out. That will likely mean a couple of months on the sidelines.

And then there's the question of workload. Bellingham has already played over 14,000 club minutes alone. This is nothing new - more and more is asked of professional footballers every year. But ex-Dortmund midfielder could simply do with a rest.

There is one issue here, of course: The Club World Cup. FIFA's brand new tournament, set for the United States this summer, will feature 32 teams, eight groups, and, potentially, six more games in the American heat for Madrid. There is talk that FIFA will fine teams if they refuse to play their big names. How much truth there is to that remains to be seen, but the expectation remains that Bellingham has to play to keep the American fans happy. That's a month of the summer gone - and not much time for rest remaining.

All of that is irrelevant this weekend. It was pretty inconceivable at the start of the season that Madrid could go trophyless. Los Blancos were supposed to win everything in sight when they signed Mbappe on a free transfer. Barcelona might have brought in a smart manager in Hansi Flick, but the Blaugrana were too young, and Madrid were too good. They really should have run away with the title by now, and, instead, turning their focus to a Champions League final.
The reality is far removed. Madrid are now facing one of the more pivotal Clasicos in their recent history. They are four points behind Barca with four games to go, one of which is a clash between the two sides at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

It was the site of Bellingham's breakout for Los Blancos, his brilliant strike leading Madrid to a famous victory that ultimately kicked off a title-winning campaign. More than a year on, and the picture couldn't be more different. This is now a slumping player, in a misshapen team, struggling to find form.

These things are all connected, of course. Bellingham is not to blame for Madrid's form, but his individual efforts might just be required in games as big as these. The season is slipping away for Madrid but Bellingham can redeem himself, and his team, with a Clasico classic.