Real Madrid’s Overreliance on Jude Bellingham’s Scoring and the Struggle for Offensive Contributions

Real Madrid’s impressive start to the season is overshadowed by a growing concern: their excessive reliance on Jude Bellingham’s goals. The Englishman has been the linchpin of Carlo Ancelotti’s attack this season, notching an impressive 13 goals in just 14 appearances. However, when Bellingham doesn’t find the net, Los Blancos are grappling to muster an effective response from other sources.

In each game where Bellingham has scored, Real Madrid has emerged victorious. An astonishing 44.8% of their total goals this season have been attributed to Bellingham, underscoring the notion that halting him is half the battle. This season has seen the highest-ever share of goals that one player has been responsible for in a Real Madrid jersey.

However, Bellingham’s failure to score on five occasions this season, including matches against Las Palmas (where he didn’t play), Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Rayo Vallecano, has posed significant challenges. On three of these occasions, Real Madrid could only manage two draws against Sevilla and Rayo and a loss to Atletico.

The struggles of other key players in front of goal have compounded the issue. Vinicius Junior, although hampered by an injury, has managed only three goals and two assists, a drop from his five goals and four assists at this stage last season. Similarly, Rodrygo has contributed just two goals and one assist, down from his 10 goal contributions (5 goals and 5 assists) last season.

A considerable part of these difficulties arises from the fact that Karim Benzema’s replacement, Joselu Mato, was primarily brought in as a rotational option. Joselu has netted five goals this season at a rate that could see him reach 18 goals for the campaign, one more than his tally with Espanyol last season. However, by this stage last season, Benzema had already scored seven goals.

Based on current projections, Vinicius would score 14 goals this season, and Rodrygo would contribute seven, compared to the 23 goals and 19 they collectively provided last season. Combined with Benzema, Real Madrid could rely on 73 goals. Even with Bellingham’s remarkable form, they would reach just 67 goals, keeping in mind that Marco Asensio (with 12 goals) has departed, and Real Madrid couldn’t compete for the La Liga title last season.

Fede Valverde, who contributed significantly in terms of goals last season, had eight goals at this stage last year. While he eventually reached 12 for the entire season, his solitary goal so far has failed to bridge the gap.

While player development is not always linear, it’s probable that Rodrygo and Vinicius will improve their numbers, particularly as the team becomes more acclimated to their current system. Nevertheless, the onus is on the Brazilian duo to step up in Benzema’s absence, as Bellingham’s extraordinary pace may not be sustainable. Although Ancelotti asserts that he has ample resources, questions are now being raised about the team’s offensive depth and effectiveness.