Beijing time (CEST) August 30 — According to AS, the absolute priority of Real Madrid is to win major trophies. However, behind this ultimate mission lies an equally urgent and specific priority: getting Bellingham back to his best form.

Back at Real Madrid, José Mourinho has his work cut out for him. The most crucial task, which he and the entire world are aware of, is to start winning again—winning matches and lifting trophies. At Real Madrid, no other standard measures success. But this is merely a general objective; to achieve it, certain more specific intermediate goals must first be accomplished. One of them is to restore Bellingham to his best form—the peak performance he showed in his first season at Real Madrid: an impressive record of 23 goals and 13 assists, helping the team win La Liga and the Champions League, and finishing third in the Ballon d'Or voting.

However, this excellent form did not sustain over the following two seasons: across the two seasons combined, Bellingham's statistics only matched his first season's 23 goals, with just 5 more assists (20 total) than in his breakthrough season. This stagnation was not only reflected in his on-pitch performances but was also palpable in the stands—some Real Madrid fans even, at one point, considered him one of the sources of friction in the dressing room, and these internal issues ultimately led to Carlo Ancelotti's departure.

In any case, as Bellingham's compatriots often say, all of that is "water under the bridge." Under Mourinho, Bellingham has a chance for a fresh start, and his stellar World Cup performance has given him added confidence: with 7 goals and 1 assist, he helped England secure third place at the World Cup.

Now, in Mourinho's tactical system, Bellingham bears greater responsibility. The Setúbal manager has made it clear that while Bellingham is a midfielder, in his eyes he is first and foremost a weapon for creating offensive threats: "He has the ability to score goals and should be closer to the penalty area. He is a number 10; although he can also play as a number 6 or 8, playing too deep would diminish his ability to threaten the opposition's goal."

The two official matches so far have confirmed Mourinho's judgment: Bellingham has scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists, personally contributing to half of Real Madrid's 6 goals. Therefore, even though his preparation time is still short—he only joined the team for preseason training on August 12—it is hard to imagine Real Madrid without him in the number 10 role.

Tonight against Málaga, Bellingham will remain in the starting lineup. Only one change is expected in Real Madrid's starting eleven: Cucurella is set to start at left-back, while Diomandé will have to continue patiently waiting for his chance.

Real Madrid's opponent tonight is the impressive Málaga. This team is composed of players from their youth academy, supplemented by a few new signings, and their manager is the equally remarkable Pellicer. Pellicer was previously a middle school teacher, coaching Málaga B while searching for a new managerial opportunity. Then, in November of last season, he was named interim manager of the first team, initially tasked with avoiding relegation. However, he won 17 of 29 matches, not only reaching the promotion playoffs but then eliminating Las Palmas and Almería in succession, bringing the team back to La Liga after 8 years.

Now on the top-flight stage, they maintain a youthful and fluid style of play. Their performance at the Wanda Metropolitano was encouraging, and in the match against Deportivo La Coruña, the team earned their first La Liga point of the season.

Traduit par IA.

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