Jude Bellingham issues response to criticism over 'tap-in goals'
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 30 Oct 2023 14:52 GMT
- 3 min read
Jude Bellingham has jokingly hit back at critics after he scored another close-range goal in Real Madrid’s 2-1 El Clasico win against Barcelona on Saturday.
Ilkay Gundogan put Xavi’s side 1-0 up inside the first 10 minutes, but a brace from Bellingham, including a stoppage time winner, ensured Real Madrid moved four points clear of their rivals in the Spanish top flight table.
READ MORE: Haaland drops Real Madrid hint with Bellingham Instagram post
Bellingham’s brace means he has now scored 13 goals in 13 Real Madrid appearances since his €103 million summer move from Borussia Dortmund, with three of those goals late winners in second-half stoppage time.
Most of the England international’s goals have been from close-range, rather than from outside the box, but Bellingham believes that scoring those types of goals is a positive rather than a negative.
READ MORE: Bellingham’s value has EXPLODED since Real Madrid transfer
What has Bellingham said?
After the match, Bellingham was asked which El Clasico goal was his favourite by Real Madrid’s Twitter admin. He replied: “Probably the first one. I can imagine everyone battering me for the second one, I know I get a lot of grief for scoring tap-ins!
Our tap-in merchant 🤣
🌟 @BellinghamJude#ElClásico | #RMPlay pic.twitter.com/XX7Xz7nd95— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 30, 2023
“But when everyone stood still, I was on the move and you create your own luck and your own opportunities and I've done it again for the second goal.
“The first one was finally a bit better, a bit more classy, so yeah, I’d say the first one [was better].”
Bellingham then spoke to Real Madrid TV and added: “I got the ball on the edge of the box. I've been saying for a few weeks that I need to try from outside.
“Maybe the opponents expect me to try to get into the box or combine with a team-mate and I wanted to surprise them by hitting it from outside the box. I know I have the technique and it went into the top corner.”
