Jude Bellingham form means matching rare feat last achieved by Gary Lineker is unlikely
Today at 09:39 AM
Jude Bellingham has made plenty of history since joining Real Madrid in 2023, but one feat is out of reach. At least it seems that way.
The midfielder has the chance to join an exclusive club on Saturday, when he and his and his club teammates face off against bitter rivals Barcelona in what is known as El Clasico.
While victory in the all-important clash will be at the forefront of his mind, Bellingham will also see it as a great way to open his goal scoring account.
He has yet to score this season, which means one achievement is unlikely and England’s wait will go on a little more.
However, should the 21-year-old score a hat-trick in front of his own fans, he will become the first Englishman to net a treble in the fixture since Gary Lineker in 1987.
The current host of Match of the Day stole the show for Barca as he got on the scoresheet three times in a 3-2 win over Los Blancos in just his second game against them in the 1986/87 season.
To this day, Lineker remains the only Three Lions star in history to record such a feat, and he described the incredible achievement in a 2023 interview with GOAL.
He recalled: “It was the first [El Clasico] I’d played at the Nou Camp and I scored two goals in the first five minutes – both from very close range.
“And I had goose bumps. The noise was incredible, in front of 120,000 fans.
“It was about five minutes into the second half and I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper who I believe was [Paco] Buyo. I’ve dinked it over him and when I saw it going in it was just magical.”
These would not be the former striker’s last goals in the fixture, as he went on to score in two further instalments of the historic match during his three years in Spain between 1986 and 1989.
And while Bellingham will no doubt be keen to join Lineker in the history books, his current form makes it a tall order.
The midfielder’s last goal at club level was more than five months ago, in a 5-0 league win over Alaves in May.
In his last outing, a 5-2 Champions League win over former club Borussia Dortmund, he squandered two golden chances to end his goal drought.
Bellingham even poked fun at his lack of end product after the match, writing on Instagram: “Finishing practice for me tomorrow.”
And while Bellingham’s current form would not make him favourite to net an historic treble this weekend, he can certainly draw inspiration from his previous Clasico heroics.
Last term, he scored injury-time winners in both LaLiga clashes with Barcelona in a stunning first year in the Spanish capital.
Bellingham scored 23 goals in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, and won both LaLiga and the Champions League.
He will also be encouraged by his exploits at international level during his five-month barren spell for his club side.
Whilst away from Madrid at Euro 2024, Bellingham proved himself effective in front of goal for England, finding the net twice.
Both contributions were crucial, with one the winning goal in the Three Lions’ tournament opener against Serbia, and the other a last-gasp equaliser in a round of 16 win over Slovakia.
The former Dortmund man also scored more recently for his country in a 2-1 Nations League defeat to Greece earlier this month.
And he will now be hoping to open his account for the season in the ultimate fashion, as he targets yet more history at the Santiago Bernabeu against Barcelona.
