Erling Haaland reacted to his former Borussia Dortmund teammate Jude Bellingham surpassing a stunning Cristiano Ronaldo record for Real Madrid.
Goals have been flowing aplenty for the Englishman, who has now scored 10 goals in his first 10 matches for the Madrid giants. In Los Blancos' latest 4-0 La Liga home win against Osasuna, Bellingham netted a brace.
Cristiano Ronaldo also scored 10 goals in his first 10 matches for Los Merengues after joining from Manchester United for €94 million in 2009. The Portuguese had one assist in his first 10 matches for the club, meaning his total goal contribution was 11.
Bellingham, though, has two assists to his name, taking his goals plus assists tally to 12, one more than Ronaldo. Considering Bellingham, 20, is naturally a midfielder, the statistic is mind-numbing.
Following his latest tantalizing display against Osasuna, Bellingham wrote on Instagram:
"Beautiful win at the temple! Double figures.🫡 #HalaMadrid"
A number of former and current players commented on the post, which has already garnered more than two million likes on Instagram. One of them was Bellingham's former Dortmund teammate Haaland, who wrote:
"Unreal."
Erling Haaland is one of the most prolific goalscorers in world football at the moment. However, Bellingham is currently giving the Norwegian a run for his money. Haaland has eight goals and two assists in 11 matches across competitions this season. In his first season with Manchester City last year, the 23-year-old bagged a staggering 52 goals and nine assists in 53 appearances.
Haaland and Bellingham shared the pitch 63 times for Die Schwarzgelben, combining for seven goals. Given Manchester City and Real Madrid are two of the top European teams at the moment, it won't be surprising if the former teammates lock horns in the UEFA Champions League in the near future.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reacted to Jude Bellingham equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's goal record
When Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for €103 million in the summer, it was clear they had bagged a real gem. However, it's fair to say that Bellingham is exceding expectations.
Fans and experts tipped Bellingham to become a mainstay in Los Merengues' midfield. Nobody, though, could have foreseen that he would be matching Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring numbers for the club.
Carlo Ancelotti was also left stunned by the Englishman as he told the media following the home win against Osasuna (via SB Nation):
“It’s the same as always. He’s finding a lot of possibilities in attack, he’s very involved, I’ve told him that he doesn’t have a fixed position and that’s benefitting him. He’s attacking from deep and it’s been a surprising start to the season, nobody expected this level in terms of goals.”
Cristiano Ronaldo elevated his star status when he joined Real Madrid. He continued producing match-winning performances for nine seasons in a row, ending up with 450 goals and 131 assists in 438 appearances for the club. Jude Bellingham, albeit a player of a different position, could very well become the next big superstar for Los Merengues.