Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has told the press that ‘comeback’ has been the most used word in the dressing room over recent days, as they face the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final in need of a three-goal comeback against Arsenal.
Los Blancos have authored many dramatic comebacks, but coming from three goals behind would be first for them.
“Remontada (laughs). I’ve probably heard it a million times in the last week. This motivates us a lot. It’s a night made for Real Madrid. I don’t think we can add anything more special to that,” Bellingham said.
“The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu is one of the key factors cited in their European comebacks, when other teams start to feel the pressure in the Spanish capital.
“There’s always an incredible atmosphere at the Bernabeu; the energy is contagious. We can feel it; it brings out the best in us. We shouldn’t ask Real Madrid fans to do anything they haven’t done before. It’s up to us; we have to match their energy and put in a performance to be proud of for them.”
Bellingham was also asked if there had been more arguments and moments of tension between the players this season than last.
“It’s football. It’s normal for there to be tense moments on the pitch, emotions running high. You obviously raise your voice more than you might with your mum or your dad, or your wife, we have a very different relationship.
“We have to be that sincere and honest with each other. You guys highlight it more than we do, but we have to have that ruthlessness. For every one negative reaction, there’s 20 positive ones, but we respect each other enough to be honest with each other.
“Regarding mental toughness, we believe we’re tough enough, you can’t go into this game thinking there’ll be anything other than a comeback. We’re ready, excited, and looking forward to it.”
The 21-year-old voiced his confidence in the team, and the comeback, but was asked where that came from.
“We need to see something much better than what we saw in the first game. More commitment, more skill on the ball… there are a lot of things. I don’t think we gave our best, but we know we can do much better, and that’s what we want to show tomorrow.
“Even though we played nearly as bad as we could, it’s funny, there were still moments when we had chances, and we know we have the quality.”
Neither was he surprised by Arsenal in the first leg.
“We have to trust that the players will give their all. There have been magical nights at the Bernabeu, and we believe we can do much better. We need to increase our level of focus, and we can be there, of course. We’re not stupid, but we trust in our abilities.
“Arsenal didn’t really surprise us. The free-kicks were surprising, I’ve not really seen Declan do that before, but they’re a very good team and have a fantastic coach.”
According to Bellingham, by the time they were on the team bus after their defeat to Arsenal last week, they were convinced they could complete an historic comeback.
“It’s an incredible atmosphere in the dressing room. The first leg was one of the worst results we could have imagined, and now everyone’s thinking about the comeback. It means you’re at the best club in the world. There’s also pressure behind all of this; we know we have to get the best result possible.”
One of the frequent talking points in recent weeks has been the amount that Real Madrid are running, with Arsenal covering far more ground than Los Blancos in the first leg.
“It’s true that if you run more, you have more chances. Yes, this influences your game. But the same thing happened last year: we didn’t run the most and we won the Champions League. We have to know what it means to run from one side to the other. We have to know how to run. Tomorrow we’ll want to run much more, and hopefully we’ll have a better plan to do it.”
Bellingham reportedly had a bust-up in training with Antonio Rudiger on Friday, hence the motive behind him being asked about tension in the dressing room. Bellingham was also reportedly one of the players who spoke to the Real Madrid team in the dressing room after the loss, in atempt to rile up the side.
Football Espana
