Jude Bellingham has said that he, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior can perform together on Real Madrid's pitch ahead of the “all or nothing” Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The midfielder has had a challenging season – first recovering from shoulder surgery and then suffering a hamstring problem – in an all-round difficult campaign for Madrid, with the Champions League now the team's last realistic chance of winning a major trophy.
Madrid lost 2-1 to Bayern at the Bernabéu last week in the first leg, a match in which Mbappé and Vinícius started, while Bellingham was introduced by coach Álvaro Arbeloa as a substitute in the second half.
“It's difficult, because I still feel like there have been a lot of games where we've combined really well,” Bellingham said at a news conference on Tuesday, when asked about the combination with the two superstars.
“Sometimes it can be difficult with two naturally left-footed players [Mbappé and Vini].
“It can be difficult when we are all on the same side. Arbeloa has found a little more balance with me on the other side. We are fluid, we have freedom to move, sometimes that can get a little disorganized, but with both of them you have to trust their ability… When things go well, hopefully it will be like tomorrow. I've seen it before.”
Madrid are nine points behind leaders Barcelona in LaLiga after dropping further points in a 1-1 draw at home against Girona on Friday, putting even more pressure on Bayern's tie.
“We want to still be playing for something at the end of the season,” Bellingham said. “It's very important for us, for the club… Obviously it has been a somewhat frustrating season for me, the first like this one, missing so many games due to injury.
“Any defeat in the Champions League feels like a disaster. Given the situation we are in, we understand that tomorrow is a final. We have to see it as an all-or-nothing game.”
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Arbeloa, whose long-term future as a manager has been called into question after Madrid failed to win in their last three games, against Real Mallorca, Bayern and Girona, said the 2-1 scoreline in the first leg meant his team “does not need to perform any miracles” in Munich.
“To begin with, we are Real Madrid,” Arbeloa said. “If there is a team that comes to this stadium to change things, it is us. If we won [the first leg]It wouldn't have been crazy. Your goalkeeper [Manuel Neuer] He was the MVP. We are capable of it.
“The Real Madrid coach believes, the players believe and the club believes. I have not met any fan in recent days who does not believe that we are going to win.”
