Real Madrid fought back to secure a 2-1 victory against Barcelona in a tense LaLiga 'El Clasico' on Saturday, courtesy of a second-half double from top scorer Jude Bellingham, who continues to make a strong impression with his excellent form.
The 20-year-old Englishman has effortlessly adapted to Spanish football, with 13 goals and three assists in 13 games in all competitions since his move from Borussia Dortmund.
On Saturday, he led Real's comeback after Barcelona took the lead in the sixth minute through midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who capitalised on a defensive error by the visiting team.
Barcelona paid the price for their inability to convert their dominance into more goals, as Bellingham capitalised on the two opportunities he had in the second half. First, he unleashed an unstoppable strike from a distance into the upper left corner in the 68th minute, and then, in stoppage time, he scored the winning goal after receiving a pass from Luka Modric inside the box.
"Even a draw would be unfair for us after the game we had; they looked like they'd surrendered and then came those disgraceful blows to shock us. It's a shame," Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez told DAZN.
"We dominated for 60 minutes but this is football... Real Madrid have these things... Real Madrid score two goals with the three or two-and-a-half chances they have."
Barca dominated the first half, and Gundogan located the ball at his feet for an effortless tap-in after Real defender Aurelien Tchouameni passed the ball backward to centre-back David Alaba, who barely managed to reach the ball.
Midfielder Fermin Lopez, who hit the post in the 15th minute, and forward Joao Felix were a consistent threat to Real's defence, creating several opportunities to score. Real could be considered fortunate to go into the halftime break only one goal behind.
After the break, Andreas Christiansen directed a header onto the post, and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made a magnificent save to thwart Barca from a close-range strike by Ronald Araujo.
Real Madrid began to regain their rhythm after manager Carlo Ancelotti introduced Eduardo Camavinga and Modric from the bench, and once again, Bellingham stood out.
Real Madrid currently lead the standings with 28 points, tied with Girona. Barca occupies the third position with 24 points, holding a two-point advantage over Atletico Madrid, who have two games in hand.