🚨Rodri on defending against Jude Bellingham in his first El Clásico against Real Madrid: 🗣️ Rodri: “A few days before the game, the manager called me into his office and told me something very simple: ‘Rodri, your job is to make sure Bellingham doesn’t have the freedom to influence this match.’ “We studied his movements, his positioning, the runs he makes into the box, and how he arrives late when defenders are already focused on Mbappé and Diomande. We prepared for different scenarios because we knew how dangerous he could be. “But honestly, preparing for Jude and actually facing him are two completely different things! “One minute, you’re dealing with Mbappé trying to dribble past you, the next minute Bellingham is running directly at you with the confidence of a player who already knows how the situation will end. You try to close the space, but he’s strong enough to protect the ball, quick enough to change direction, and intelligent enough to recognise when you’ve committed yourself. “There was one moment when he received the ball and I started tracking him alongside Pedri. I thought we had the situation under control. Suddenly, he shifted his body, changed direction and went past both of us like we weren’t even there! “I remember looking at Pedri afterwards, and we didn’t even need to speak. We both knew what had just happened. “When people discuss the greatest midfielders, they mention Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Kevin De Bruyne. These are players who understand football at a different level. I genuinely believe Bellingham has the qualities to belong in conversations about the very best midfielders of his generation. “He’s not just somebody who can carry the ball or score goals. He can press, defend, create chances, arrive in the box, win physical battles and take responsibility when his team needs him. That combination is extremely difficult to find. “What makes him even more dangerous is his mentality. He doesn’t look at a situation and think, ‘This is Rodri, I need to be careful.’ He thinks, ‘There’s space there, and I’m going to attack it.’ You need that kind of confidence to play for Real Madrid. “And let’s be honest, every manager in the world would love to have a player like Jude. He gives you options in almost every area of the pitch. You can change your formation, change your approach, and still find a role for him because he understands the game so well. “The difficult thing about defending Bellingham is that you can do your job for 85 minutes, keep him quiet and believe you’ve controlled him. Then he produces one run, one turn or one moment of quality that changes everything. He’s the kind of player who makes you realise that even when your positioning is perfect, you still need to be ready for something extraordinary.” - @merry_kingfish