Bellingham Marks Return with Winner as Real Madrid Edge Juventus 1-0 in Champions League

Real Madrid continued their perfect start to this season’s UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Jude Bellingham’s second-half strike—his first goal since June—was enough to secure all three points and maintain Los Blancos’ dominance in Group C.

The decisive moment arrived in the 58th minute when Vinicius Jr produced a dazzling solo run, dancing past three Juventus defenders before firing a shot that struck the post. The rebound fell kindly to Bellingham, who calmly slotted home, marking his first goal since returning from shoulder surgery. The English midfielder’s composed finish sent the Bernabeu crowd into raptures and ensured Madrid’s third straight win in the competition.

Juventus, who share the record with Ajax for the most wins against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in European Cup history, battled hard but failed to convert their chances. The Italian side’s winless run now stretches to seven matches across all competitions, and they remain without a victory in Europe since September 13. With just two points from three games, their hopes of advancing from the group stage are fading fast.

The first half offered little excitement, but the tempo shifted dramatically after the break. Dusan Vlahovic had Juventus’ best chance of the night when he sprinted half the length of the pitch after beating Madrid’s defensive line. However, his powerful effort was brilliantly denied by Thibaut Courtois, who stuck out a leg to keep the scores level.

At the other end, Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio delivered a superb performance, pulling off three top-class saves—two from Kylian Mbappe and one from Brahim Diaz—to keep his side in contention. Mbappe, who had scored in each of his last 11 matches for club and country, saw his streak come to an end as Di Gregorio repeatedly frustrated him.

The match had its tense moments, including a controversial challenge from Francisco Conceicao on Vinicius Jr. As the Brazilian raced through on goal, Conceicao clipped him, but the referee ruled that he had made enough contact with the ball to avoid a red card.

With Sunday’s El Clásico looming, Madrid manager Xabi Alonso opted for late substitutions to preserve energy. Juventus nearly capitalised in stoppage time when Filip Kostic unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the box, but Courtois was once again equal to the task, sealing another vital European win for Real Madrid.