Jude Bellingham’s Evolution at Real Madrid: A Tactical and Statistical Analysis

Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid as one of the youngest and most talented players in European football. The club invested a substantial fee in him, and expectations from fans and analysts were notably high. Bellingham’s transformation at Real Madrid has been nothing short of remarkable. He has evolved from a dominant force in midfield to a more versatile and well-rounded attacking player. Under Carlo Ancelotti’s guidance, his development has significantly influenced Real Madrid’s tactical approach.

A comparison of his performances in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons reveals noticeable shifts in his role, statistical output, and tactical impact. This analysis explores Jude Bellingham’s statistical performance, positional adjustments, and overall impact on Real Madrid’s playstyle, providing a comprehensive understanding of how his development has contributed to the club’s ongoing success over the past two years.

Statistical Comparison: 2023/24 vs. 2024/25

Goals and Assists

2023/24 (Total): 43 games, 23 goals, 13 assists  

2024/25 (Current): 39 games, 11 goals, 11 assists  

Bellingham’s goal output has significantly decreased in the current season. In La Liga alone, his goals per 90 minutes have dropped from 0.74 last season to 0.35 this season. This decline can be attributed to a change in his positioning and tactical responsibilities. However, his assist rate has improved from 0.23 assists per 90 minutes to 0.30 per 90 minutes, indicating a transition to a more creative role rather than being the primary goal-scorer. 

While he remains a vital contributor in both domestic and European competitions, this shift in his output may suggest a tactical adjustment or a more balanced role within the squad. Despite scoring fewer goals, Bellingham’s creative contributions remain strong, and he continues to be an influential presence on the pitch.

Key Observations:

• Goal Scoring Drop: Bellingham’s goals have significantly decreased from 23 to 11, and his goals per 90 minutes have dropped from 0.74 to 0.35.
• Consistent Assisting Rate: His assist tally has remained stable (13 → 11), with a slight increase in assists per 90 minutes (0.23 → 0.30).
• Shooting & Passing: Shot accuracy, passes per 90, and pass completion rate remains identical across both seasons.
• Defensive & Physical Performance: His duels, tackles, and interceptions per 90 remain unchanged, indicating a steady defensive contribution.

Graphical Analysis:

• Goals per 90 Minutes: A noticeable drop from 0.74 to 0.35.
• Assists per 90 Minutes: A slight increase from 0.23 to 0.30.

Key Observations:

• La Liga Impact: Bellingham’s La Liga goals have dropped significantly (19 → 9), but his assist numbers remain strong.
• Champions League: His goal contribution in the UCL has also slightly declined (4 → 2), but assists remain steady at 3.
• Domestic Cups: No contributions in Copa del Rey or Super Cup.

Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA)

• 2023/24 (La Liga): 19 goals, 6 assists
• 2024/25 (La Liga so far): 7 goals, 6 assists

Jude Bellingham’s expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes has dropped from 0.74 to 0.34, indicating a shift in his position and role away from frequent goal-scoring opportunities. In contrast, his expected assists (xA) per 90 minutes have increased to 0.33, reflecting his expanded responsibilities in playmaking.

Shooting and Passing

• Shot conversion rate (2023/24): 26.4%
• Shot conversion rate (2024/25): 22.58%
• Shots per goal (2023/24): 3.8
• Shots per goal (2024/25): 4.43
• Pass completion rate (2023/24): 86.7%
• Pass completion rate (2024/25): 88.56%

Bellingham’s shooting efficiency has declined slightly, while his shots-per-goal ratio has increased. However, his passing accuracy has improved, suggesting a shift toward a more creative and facilitating role in midfield.

Tactical Adjustments

Positional Changes and Role Evolution

In his debut season at Real Madrid, Bellingham was often utilized as an advanced midfielder in Ancelotti’s system, frequently making late runs into the box and acting as a shadow striker. His off-the-ball movement was pivotal in breaking defensive lines and scoring during attacking transitions.

With the addition of Kylian Mbappé this season, Bellingham has adapted to a deeper and slightly wider midfield role. Instead of making aggressive forward runs, he now operates in the left half-space, linking midfield and attack while ensuring fluidity in Madrid’s offensive transitions. This adjustment allows him to dictate play more often, contributing to the team’s overall balance and decreasing his reliance on goal-scoring opportunities.

Playmaking Influence

Bellingham’s improved assist numbers and passing statistics reflect a greater emphasis on creating chances rather than finishing them. His ability to drop deep, receive the ball under pressure, and progress play has become essential in Madrid’s build-up. This adjustment enables Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. to take on more direct goal-scoring responsibilities while Bellingham manages the tempo and orchestrates attacking sequences.

His key passes per game have also increased, and he has become more involved in Madrid’s ball circulation, completing more progressive passes than last season. Additionally, his progressive carries per 90 minutes have risen from 6.1 to 7.2, indicating a greater tendency to drive forward and create opportunities from deeper midfield areas.

 Defensive Contributions and Pressing

Despite some tactical changes, Bellingham’s work rate in defense remains consistent. He averages 1.39 tackles and 3.64 recoveries per 90 minutes, demonstrating that his pressing and defensive contributions are essential to Real Madrid’s transitions.

Bellingham’s ability to read opposition movements and intercept passes high up the pitch makes him a crucial part of Madrid’s defensive efforts. His tactical intelligence enables the team to recover possession quickly and initiate counter-attacks. Moreover, his interception rate has improved significantly, increasing from 1.1 per 90 minutes last season to 1.6 this season, highlighting his enhanced defensive awareness.

Attacking Contribution

Bellingham has established himself as an exceptional attacking force for Real Madrid, playing a key role in both scoring goals and creating opportunities.

• Shooting & Goal Conversion:
  • With 31 shots taken this season, Bellingham averages 1.54 shots per 90 minutes.
  • His shot accuracy is 48.39%, meaning nearly half of his shots hit the target (15 out of 31).
  • His conversion rate (22.58%) is impressive, indicating clinical finishing—scoring a goal roughly every 4.43 shots.
  • Bellingham has demonstrated versatility in his finishing:
    • Right-footed goals: 7 (0.19 per 90 minutes)
    • Left-footed goals: 2 (0.06 per 90 minutes)
    • Headed goals: 2 (0.06 per 90 minutes)
  • Notably, he thrives inside the penalty box, with 11 of his goals coming from within the area (0.31 per 90 minutes).

Playmaking & Passing

Despite being primarily an attacking midfielder, Bellingham has showcased strong playmaking abilities.

• He has completed 1,119 passes this season, averaging 55.55 per 90 minutes, with a completion rate of 88.56%—indicating high efficiency.
• His 28 key passes (1.39 per 90 minutes) highlight his ability to create chances for teammates.
• While not a frequent crosser (10 crosses, 0.50 per 90 minutes), his passing impact is more evident in central areas.
• His minutes per assist (302 minutes per assist) suggest he provides assists at a reasonable rate for a goal-scoring midfielder.

Dribbling & Ball Progression

Bellingham’s dribbling ability continues to be a significant part of his game.

• With 47 dribbles attempted, he averages 2.33 dribbles per 90 minutes.
• His success rate of 59.57% (28 successful dribbles) highlights his ability to take on defenders effectively.

Defensive Contributions

Despite his offensive responsibilities, Bellingham has been actively involved in defensive work.

• He has completed 50 tackles (1.39 per 90 minutes) and 34 interceptions (0.94 per 90 minutes), showcasing his defensive awareness.
• His 131 ball recoveries (3.64 per 90 minutes) highlight his ability to regain possession.
• His physicality is evident in duels, competing in 459 duels (12.74 per 90 minutes), and winning 261 (7.24 per 90 minutes).
• He also contributes aerially, winning 38 aerial duels (1.05 per 90 minutes).

Positional Influence

• Bellingham’s 144 touches inside the opposition box (4 per 90 minutes) reinforce his role as an advanced midfielder with a strong attacking presence.
• His ability to link midfield and attack while maintaining defensive contributions makes him a complete midfielder.

Operating in the Pockets

Bellingham typically positions himself in the spaces between midfield and defense. He situates himself between players, creating confusion for defenders about whom to mark.

Dropping and Playmaking

Although Bellingham enjoys finding space in the pockets, he occasionally drops back to assist his teammates further down the pitch, collecting the ball and distributing it elsewhere.

Jude Bellingham is often unpredictable and challenging to defend against due to his constant movement. He effectively contributes both in the lower phases of Real Madrid’s build-up play and higher up the pitch, finding spaces between the lines. Bellingham adds a lot of dynamism to Real Madrid’s attack; when he drops deep, it often leads to long switches and creates one-on-one situations for the team’s quick wingers.

Runs in Behind

Jude Bellingham not only uses underlaps to get behind the opposition’s defense but also makes various types of runs, leveraging his speed to arrive first at the ball. His teammates are all technically skilled and often deliver precise through-balls that find him during these runs.

Comparison with Other Midfielders

Jude Bellingham vs. Federico Valverde

• Bellingham’s xG per 90: 0.34 | Valverde’s xG per 90: 0.29
• Bellingham’s xA per 90: 0.33 | Valverde’s xA per 90: 0.22
• Pass completion rate: 88.56% (Bellingham) vs. 86.42% (Valverde)
• Defensive recoveries per 90: 3.64 (Bellingham) vs. 4.12 (Valverde)

Compared to Valverde, Bellingham contributes more in the final third, while Valverde offers more defensive stability. This contrast highlights Bellingham’s evolution into a more attack-minded midfielder.

Jude Bellingham vs. Martin Ødegaard

• Bellingham’s xG per 90: 0.34 | Ødegaard’s xG per 90: 0.27
• Bellingham’s xA per 90: 0.33 | Ødegaard’s xA per 90: 0.42
• Pass completion rate: 88.56% (Bellingham) vs. 87.13% (Ødegaard)
• Shot conversion rate: 22.58% (Bellingham) vs. 24.3% (Ødegaard)

While Ødegaard is a more traditional playmaker, Bellingham’s versatility allows him to impact multiple phases of play. His ability to transition seamlessly between attack and defense adds another layer to his overall game.

Work Rate and Pressing

In addition to his technical and tactical brilliance, Bellingham’s defensive work rate and pressing style are among his greatest assets. His relentless pursuit of the ball, intelligent positioning, and willingness to cover every inch of the pitch make him a standout player in terms of work rate. Bellingham’s work ethic not only helps defensively by disrupting opponents’ plays but also supports his team in creating attacking opportunities. During the lower press, he is often the first to move up and press the opposition, helping the team avoid dropping too deep.

Conclusion

Jude Bellingham’s development at Real Madrid highlights a transition from being a goal-scoring midfielder to a more well-rounded playmaker. His decreasing goal tally is attributed to tactical changes rather than a decline in performance. With Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. taking on more of the attacking responsibilities, Bellingham has adjusted to a deeper, more creative role.

His ability to balance both attacking and defensive duties makes him an invaluable asset to Madrid’s tactical setup. If this trend continues, Bellingham could establish himself as one of the most complete midfielders in world football, effortlessly blending creativity, defensive strength, and tactical intelligence. As the season unfolds, it will be intriguing to observe whether his role continues to evolve or if he adapts again to the changing dynamics at Madrid.

By: Xhulo Zeneli

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Alex Grimm – Getty Images