Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is a whirlwind for England and a player who flickers only in bursts for the Spanish giants.
The England midfielder dazzled over the latest international break, then went back to his club and lost that same knack for deciding games.
According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Bellingham has not lost his talent. He simply appears and disappears with less force, though he is gradually rediscovering his influence, something the Clasico against Barcelona will put to the test.
On 3 October, Bellingham delivered an exceptional display against Croatia, almost playing the match single-handedly.
England swept their opponents aside in Rijeka 7-0. The Real Madrid man scored once and provided three assists, present everywhere on the pitch, raising the tempo whenever he fancied and keeping up a constant dialogue with his team-mates.
He showcased power, talent and character, all the more striking given that Croatia, who feature Luka Modric, are no ordinary opponent and certainly no minnows used to heavy defeats. Quite the opposite.
That performance crowned an exceptional international break, during which Bellingham scored one and set up four in four matches.
He returned to Madrid having reminded everyone of the version that caught the eye in his first season at the club, when he would make surprise runs into the box and settle matches with striking ease.
His brilliance with England did not carry over. Since coming back, Bellingham has played four matches against Villarreal, Roma, Sevilla and Leipzig without scoring a single goal, managing just one assist.
That tally looks modest for a player directly involved in five goals for his country only a short time before.
Getty ImagesCalling him a spent force would be unfair, and judging his form demands a wider view. Still, he has lost part of that overwhelming presence and ability to decide matches that gave his England team-mates such a lift.
Against Villarreal, on his return to action, Bellingham played 90 minutes with little attacking impact. He took two shots, created no chances and looked a world away from the whirlwind he had unleashed with England.
Roma brought no goal either, despite the full 90 minutes, three shots, one chance created and greater involvement in the play. His presence faded in a game of flowing attacks, goals and thrilling moments that ended in a 4-3 win for Real Madrid.
The contrast with Croatia was stark. The player who seemed to be behind every England attack now has to reclaim his standing at the Bernabeu, with others leading the show and attacking duties shared out differently.
Regaining influence
The numbers, though, disprove any notion of a steady decline. Bellingham has kept improving since his return. After creating nothing against Villarreal, he fashioned one chance against Roma, two against Sevilla and three against Leipzig.
Those figures tell a different story to the crisis narrative. The midfielder is gradually rediscovering his influence on the play, even if the easy goals of his best spells have yet to return.
Against Sevilla, Bellingham provided his only assist since the international break, teeing up Kylian Mbappe in his most productive match of the run. Leipzig brought no direct goal involvement, but he created three chances, took two shots and completed both of his dribbles.
Such details can slip by when the spotlight falls elsewhere. They reveal a player whose presence in the final third is on the rise.
Position shapes the nature of his performances too. Jose Mourinho uses him in an advanced role close to the forwards, where his bursts from midfield into the box can make the difference.
That role, however, keeps him out of some phases of the build-up and ties his impact to how far the ball travels into dangerous areas.
At times Bellingham seems to vanish, uninvolved in the circulation of the ball. At others he pops up out of nowhere, finds the right pocket of space and turns an ordinary move into a clear chance. That is the price of playing high up the pitch: he features less during certain phases, but becomes far more likely to settle the game.
Across the season so far, Bellingham has scored three goals and provided three assists in nine rounds of La Liga.
Six direct goal contributions is a striking return for a midfielder, enough to spare his campaign the label of disappointment.
The question is not the scale of his talent but his ability to impose it time and again. England enjoyed a player on fire over the international break, one who turned almost every appearance into a threat.
Getty ImagesReal Madrid got back a less consistent version, for all the clear signs of improvement.
The Clasico at the Camp Nou against Barcelona looks like the perfect stage to measure how far he has come in rediscovering his best.
Mourinho will need his energy, his knack for arriving in the box and his fierce character, qualities that can change the course of any match.
The challenge is to find the consistency that turns individual flashes into dominance, and intermittent appearances into a footballing whirlwind.