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Jude Bellingham did not allow Real Madrid’s win on Tuesday night to mask his own disappointment, offering a brutally honest verdict on his finishing. Although Los Blancos collected a crucial three points in their Champions League opener, the England international admitted he was frustrated at not taking the clear chances that came his way.

Self-reflection after a tough European contest

Madrid began their latest push for European success with a hard-earned 2-1 win over Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu, but much of the post-match discussion centred on Bellingham’s frank comments. The midfielder played an important role throughout the game, yet his failure to score remained at the front of his mind when he faced the media after the final whistle. While plenty of players might have focused only on the team result, the former Borussia Dortmund man instead looked back at the opportunities he had not converted.

“There were moments when we had to suffer against a very good team,” Bellingham said. “They are Italian champions for a reason, and there were moments when we made them suffer, especially on the counterattack, when we moved the ball well. Something similar happened against Betis last weekend, when we failed to convert our chances.”

“Today we could have finished the game with a bigger scoreline. We had chances, myself included, but in the Champions League there will be moments of suffering. We only conceded one goal, and the defenders did very well, but great teams find gaps.”

Frustration over missed sitters

The England midfielder was especially hard on himself over two particular opportunities when he felt he should have wrapped up the match. Up against Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez, Bellingham twice found himself in excellent positions but could not supply the finish, something he believes placed unnecessary pressure on his team-mates late in the game. The 23-year-old said he had missed two sitters and, although he credited the opposition goalkeeper, he would not hide behind that as an excuse for not being clinical enough.

“I thought I was going to score. On the first chance, the goalkeeper appeared out of nowhere. The ball fell to me, and I thought: ‘This is a goal.’ But he pulled out an arm from who knows where, and on the second one I got to see the ball a bit late, there were people in the way, I tried to bring it down and struck it quite well. But again, out of nowhere, another great save. It’s frustrating because it would have made life easier for us if I had scored, but it’s part of the game. Another day, those will go in,” Bellingham recalled.

Relentless self-analysis

Bellingham then went into more detail about the technical side of his misses, particularly one opening created by Brahim Diaz. He admitted he overcomplicated the moment in his mind, which affected his execution and gave Martinez the chance to recover. That level of self-examination has become a defining feature of Bellingham’s time in the Spanish capital, with the midfielder consistently demanding the highest standards from himself regardless of the competition or the result.

“Brahim chipped it over and I was waiting for the ball to see it, it’s finally come and it looked a bit high so I thought do I head it in, but in the end I just got in my own head and I even still managed to get a good chance but the goalie got back well to make the save. I had two sitters today. The goalkeeper did well, but I’ve just got to put the ball in the net,” Bellingham noted.

The Mourinho influence and what comes next

Beyond his own display, Bellingham also spoke enthusiastically about life under the new setup following Jose Mourinho’s return to the club. The Portuguese manager appears to have made an immediate mark on the squad’s mindset, introducing a high-pressing approach that led to both goals against the Nerazzurri. For Bellingham, adapting to a new tactical structure is not something negative, but rather a motivating challenge as the team works towards better understanding in the months ahead.

“Brilliant. He and his staff have been amazing at setting standards on and off the pitch. In terms of the values he wants his team to look like. We understand what he wants, and everyone is on… We know well how he wants his team to play. Today, we saw those values he instils. In both goals, that high pressing. There are many positives, but also things to improve. And that’s normal because there’s a new coach and a new team. I’m enjoying the good and the areas for improvement,” he concluded.