Jude Bellingham cemented his position as Real Madrid’s standout player by scoring and assisting in the Champions League victory over Napoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The England midfielder took the ball from 40 yards out, charged deep into Napoli’s defensive third, and then weaved his way through their backline before curling a shot into the bottom right corner to give his side a 2-1 half-time lead.
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Leo Ostigard put Napoli ahead in the 19th minute, reacting quickly to head in after Natan’s shot came back off the crossbar, but Vinicius Jr equalized for Real when Bellingham placed him through on goal.
In the second session, Napoli came out with purpose, and their efforts were rewarded when Piotr Zielinski equalized from the penalty spot.
When Victor Osimhen’s effort was blocked by Nacho Fernandez, referee Clement Turpin did not initially give the penalty, but after a video assistant referee check, the French official was ordered to have another look on the pitch side monitor and overruled his judgment.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Federico Valverde’s rocket of a shot cannoned off the crossbar and in through the back of goalkeeper Alex Meret.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side now leads Group C with six points from their first two games, having defeated Union Berlin 1-0 in their first outing.
Napoli, who had gone 14 games unbeaten at home in the Champions League, are second and only one point ahead of Braga on head-to-head after defeating the Portuguese club 2-1 last month. Braga fought back from two goals down to beat Union Berlin 3-2 earlier in the day.
Both teams reached the Champions League semi-finals last season and, at times, demonstrated tonight that they have what it takes to make another deep run in the competition.
Rudi Garcia, who took over as Napoli manager in the summer after Luciano Spalletti stepped down, will have been happy with the way his team started on home soil, pressuring Real high up the field and forcing the Spanish giants to give up possession cheaply.
They rightfully broke the deadlock as Chelsea loanee goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga came for the cross but ended up punching thin air.
Garcia, on the other hand, will be disappointed with how the Italian champions allowed that early urgency fade, allowing the visitors to force their way back into the game.
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It was another thrilling chapter in Bellingham’s ever-exciting career, as the former Birmingham City midfielder continues to demonstrate why he is one of the world’s top players.
Since joining Real Madrid in the summer, he has demonstrated an ability to score a wide range of goals, but Tuesday’s will rank among the greatest of his career, gliding through Napoli’s backline and displaying poise to put the finishing touch.
