With the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal set to take place on Wednesday (April 17) between Manchester City and Real Madrid, the tensions are high among both camps a place in the semifinal is up for grabs. Ahead of the clash, English midfielder Jude Bellingham has opened up on his move to Madrid last summer, with Manchester City also interested in his services. Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the second leg on Wednesday with the tie evenly contested at 3-3 as the winner of the second leg will go through.
Bellingham comments on the move to Real Madrid
“Man City interest last summer? I spoke to a lot of clubs but as soon as Real Madrid came in, it was a no-brainer. I didn’t even need to think,” Bellingham said ahead of the Manchester City clash.
“Real Madrid project, the future plans, the players… I jumped at the decision to join them. No other way,” Bellingham added.
So far in his debut season, Bellingham has excelled in a free role and scored 20 goals in 34 matches. With 16 La Liga goals, he is in contention to win the Golden Boot and could become the third English player to do so this campaign. Harry Kane in the Bundesliga and Cole Palmer in the Premier League are already leading the charts in their respective leagues.
When it comes to the assists, Bellingham has four each in La Liga and the Champions League while he has one each in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
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Bellingham to help England end trophy drought?
The English starlet will be one of the first names in Gareth Southgate’s English side but will face competition from the likes of Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins. Captain Harry Kane will also have to be up to the mark considering he has more than capable understudies within the squad. Bellingham and Co will look to end England’s trophy drought at the international level this summer when they take guards at the Euro 2024. England’s major success came in 1966 when they won the FIFA World Cup under the captaincy of Bobby Moore.
The second-leg clash will decide who will face Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the semifinal of the Champions League. Interestingly, whenever Manchester City and Real Madrid have met in the knockout stage of the competition, the winner has gone on to lift the trophy.
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