Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid made his first appearance in the UEFA Euro 2024 and saved England from defeat with a spectacular bicycle kick, proving his unique abilities. Bellingham provided the equalizer in the round of 16 match against Slovakia on July 1 at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, paving the way for a 2-1 comeback victory.
England was considered a strong contender for the championship. With world-class strikers such as Bellingham, they have Harry Kane from Bayern Munich, Phil Foden from Manchester City, and Bukayo Saka from Arsenal. However, their performance has been disappointing, failing to meet many fans’ expectations.
In the group stage, England only scored two goals and could not reach an expected goal (xG) of 1 in all three matches. This indicates a lack of tactical finesse in the attacking third, resulting in a lack of scoring opportunities.
Even in the round of 16 match against Slovakia, England’s performance was subpar. They did not attempt a single shot on goal until the 45th minute of the second half, trailing 0-1. They were in danger of being eliminated in the round of 16. In this moment of crisis, Bellingham stepped up, scoring a crucial equalizer with a fantastic bicycle kick in the added time of the second half.
In the match’s final moments, Bellingham threw himself at a ball headed by Marc Guehi in a melee in front of Slovakia’s goal, shooting and resetting the match.
Thanks to Bellingham’s goal, England managed to survive and secured a hard-fought entry into the quarterfinals with a goal from Kane in extra time.
Assigned the number 10 jersey symbolizing the ace in this tournament, Bellingham is living up to expectations. He scored the winning goal in the first group stage match against Serbia, the only match England won in the group stage.
In the round of 16, he scored a goal just before being eliminated, playing a key role in England’s first championship.
Bellingham has been a promising English and European soccer player since his youth. He debuted as a professional at Birmingham City in the English Championship (second division) at the age of 16 in 2019 and played regularly from the first season. He did not lose his starting position the following year, even after transferring to Borussia Dortmund, a prestigious German Bundesliga team.
Bellingham made his A-match debut for the England national team in 2020 and competed with world-class stars as a starter in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Last summer, he transferred to a world-renowned prestigious club, Real Madrid, and contributed significantly to the team’s Primeira Liga and UEFA Champions League victories with impressive performances. Especially in El Clasico against Barcelona, he scored 3 goals in 2 matches, showing his strength in big games.
With Bellingham at the forefront, he is strongly determined to win the Euro 2024. England is challenging for its first-ever Euro victory.
After the match against Slovakia, he said, “Scoring gives me a sense of liberation, and it’s a very happy moment. The team’s mood has changed with the comeback victory. We will move forward,” expressing his confidence that this victory will help England sail smoothly.