Jude Bellingham Matches Lionel Messi’s Record During Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg
Jude Bellingham matched a Lionel Messi feat during Real Madrid's latest UEFA Champions League win against RB Salzburg. Bellingham bagged two assists as Carlo Ancelotti's side managed a dominant 5-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu on January 22.
The Englishman assisted both of Rodrygo's goals during the match in an impressive display. Apart from Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr scored a brace and Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net for the Madrid giants.
Bellingham, meanwhile, continued his rich vein of form following a slow start to his season. The 21-year-old has now managed nine goals and nine assists in 27 appearances across competitions this season.
Meanwhile, he now has 11 goals and 13 assists in 41 UEFA Champions League appearances, taking his goal contribution to 24. Lionel Messi managed 24 goals and assists before turning 22 with 17 goals and seven assists to his name.
Bellingham is now 21 years and six months, meaning he could surpass the Argentine icon. He could also get past former teammate Erling Haaland, who managed 26 goal contributions before turning 22.
MORE: Rodrygo Reacts After Missing Out On Man Of The Match To Vinicius Jr In Real Madrid’s UCL Win
Bellingham's current Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe, though, leads the line for most UCL goal contributions for players aged 21 or under. Mbappe managed 37 goal contributions for AS Monaco and PSG.
Courtesy of their win against Salzburg, Real Madrid managed to move to the 16th spot in the UEFA Champions League table. They now have 12 points from seven matches with four wins. Los Blancos will take on Brest in their final league game of the competition's new format.
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Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.