Jude Bellingham was bullish about Real Madrid’s chances of mounting a remarkable Champions League comeback against Arsenal on Wednesday night, calling it “a night made for Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid were ripped apart by a stunningly clinical performance from Arsenal last week, with a brace of free kicks from Declan Rice putting Arsenal 2-0 up before Mikel Merino put the final nail in the coffin.
Despite the daunting task ahead, the 20-year-old midfielder is confident that his side can overturn the deficit at the Santiago Bernabéu and complete a memorable comeback.
“I did say that to someone the other day that it’s been a weird environment in the last few days. It’s one of the worst results we could possibly imagine away from home, and for some reason, everyone thinks it’s nailed on that we’ll come back.
“It’s a nice feeling, I have to say. It means there’s a lot of trust in our talent. It means you’re at a club that is unlike any other, the best in the world. That’s what it represents and signifies to me.”
Despite being huge underdogs ahead of the second leg, Bellingham acknowledged expectations are always high when you play for a club like Madrid.
“There’s a pressure in that for sure. We will want to deliver on what everyone thinks, that we can come back. That’s the goal for us. There’s pressure, but that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
“It’s a night that is made for Real Madrid, a night that would go down in history, but also it would be something people are familiar with in this part of the world.
“Hopefully, we can add another special night.”
When asked about his side’s mentality ahead of the crucial second leg, Bellingham added: “As far as being mentally strong enough, we believe so. You can’t come into games like this thinking there isn’t going to be anything else other than a comeback. We’re ready, excited and looking forward to it.
“There’s an expectation from Real Madrid that when we get into these holes, that we can come back even if it’s a really tough and difficult one. It’s just because the club have done it so many times; that is what is impressive about the size of this club, the expectations are really huge.
“What makes us confident is the quality we have, the history of the club, the fans that will turn up and give everything on the night, the aura of the Bernabéu in these Champions League nights – that’s always something.
“Even though we felt that we played as bad as we possibly could in [the first leg], we still had chances and had moments where we could have capitalised a bit more.”
He concluded with a sense of optimism, stating, “Normally, when you have your worst games, you feel like you’re miles off it, and there’s no way you can get in the game.
“But still, we had a few chances. If we were attentive to the things they did really well, we can be in it. We’re not stupid but confident in the ability we have.”
Jude Bellingham and Real Madrid will attempt to become the fifth team in Champions League history to overturn a three-goal first-leg deficit.