Jude Bellingham has started this season in truly prodigious form. The 20-year-old England midfielder has transformed himself from the deeper midfielder we all knew at Borussia Dortmund into the best goalscoring midfielder on the continent. Seemingly overnight, too.
Will Bellingham score this weekend? – latest news
Bellingham has 15 goals in 17 Real Madrid games in all competitions, with four assists to further sweeten the deal. He and his Los Blancos teammates travel to Seville to take on Real Betis
Bellingham’s novel role
When watching Real Madrid in action, many have observed that Bellingham is playing further forward than he has at any point in his career, often pushing right up onto the final line of Madrid’s attack and finding spaces from which he and his teammates can profit.
But Carlo Ancelotti, ever the master of laissez-faire management, has given Bellingham a very liberated role, having recognised his remarkable tactical intelligence. As a consequence, the Englishman influences all phases of Real’s play.
He is playing 7.6 progressive passes, making 55.4 passes and 2.35 blocks per 90 on top of his incredible goalscoring. In each of these stats, he is in the 90th percentile or higher relative to other attacking midfielders in Europe, showing that Bellingham is as complete as ever.
The lowdown on Los Verdiblancos
Real Betis will be a challenge for an injury-stricken Real Madrid. At home at Estadio Benito Villamarin, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have won five and drawn two in La Liga this campaign, and have conceded just two goals in those matches.
Betis lineup in a 4-2-3-1 and have a handful of quality players that could hurt Real, particularly attacking midfielder Isco, whose career at Los Blancos ended acrimoniously after he was frozen out of the squad.
Will Bellingham score this weekend? – outright odds
Jude Bellingham to score first – 6/1
Remarkably, only three of Bellingham’s 15 Real Madrid goals this season have opened the scoring. His strikes against Celta Vigo, Osasuna and Union Berlin the only times he has struck an opening blow.
Bellingham has more frequently scored late winners, such as against Barcelona and Getafe, on account of his remarkable stamina, focus, and ability to adapt his movement to the weaknesses of any given opponent.
But with Betis’ tight defensive form at home, an opener may well prove to be a winner, as the hosts have not been free-scoring in the absence of Nabil Fekir.
Jude Bellingham to score anytime – 2/1
Only Rodrygo Goes, who is in red hot form himself, has shorter odds to score than Bellingham, and it is not difficult to see why.
Bellingham has scored in eight of his 13 La Liga starts, and is remarkably consistent, such are his levels of talent and application.
But 2/1 is still a good opportunity to double your money.
Jude Bellingham to score a hat-trick – 80/1
At far longer odds, you can back Bellingham to score a hat-trick, which would be a career first.
That said, Bellingham is edging closer to the achievement, and has scored a brace on three occasions this season. With Bellingham’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for self-improvement, it cannot be ruled out!
