Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Jude Bellingham is capable of finding the back of the net on 25 occasions this season following his brace against Barcelona in El Clasico.
The England international netted twice in the second half of Saturday's La Liga affair, levelling the scores with a long-range strike in the 68th minute, before converting a cross from Dani Carvajal in the final exchanges to secure a 2-1 victory for Los Blancos.
The 20-year-old has now found the back of the net on 13 occasions in 13 appearances for Real Madrid this season, in addition to registering three assists.
Bellingham has 10 La Liga goals to his name this term, while he has also struck three times in the Champions League, with Real Madrid expected to be major challengers in both competitions this term.
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Speaking after El Clasico, Ancelotti said that the ex-Birmingham City youngster is capable of scoring as many as 25 goals for the club during the 2023-24 campaign.
"Bellingham can score 20 or 25 goals, but we expect the goals from the strikers, Vinicius [Junior], Rodrygo," Madrid Universal quotes Ancelotti as saying on Saturday.
Rodrygo again found it difficult to make his mark for Real Madrid, with the Brazil international only managing one goal in Spain's top flight this season.
Vinicius Junior also found it tough to impact the match, and he was jeered by the Barcelona supporters when he was substituted in the final stages of the contest.
"Vini left the pitch very slowly. I told him that he had to leave faster because a fresh player came in. I helped him get out," Ancelotti said when asked about the Brazilian.
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Real Madrid found it difficult to get going in the first half of the contest, and Ancelotti has said that his team took control after "being aggressive".
"Barcelona were the better team until we started being aggressive," he said. "Two different halves, in the second half we were more intense.
"Sometimes you can't play at your level, and that happened in the first half which was one to forget. With Luka Modric the dynamics of the match changed and Bellingham has been very effective. He kept the ball and controlled everything. He changed the game."
Real Madrid's victory in El Clasico saw them move back to the top of the La Liga table, and they will be bidding to make it three wins in a row in all competitions when they host Rayo Vallecano next Sunday.
Matt Law
