Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham hailed his teammate Federico Valverde over his impressive performance in the side's win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League playoffs. The versatile Uruguayan deputized at right-back for Los Blancos and bagged an assist to help the defending champions to a 3-1 win on Wednesday, February 19.
Speaking to the press after the match, Bellingham praised Valverde's display and said it was a pleasure to play alongside him. He said via Madrid Xtra:
“Fede is unbelievable. He’s a real pleasure to play with.”
Jude Bellingham has played 6076 minutes across 77 games with Federico Valverde in his two seasons at Real Madrid. The pair have combined for two goals, averaged 2.29 points per game, and lifted the LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League in their first season together.
Valverde has been in the Spanish capital since he joined Los Blancos from Penarol in 2016 for a reported €5 million fee. He has played 299 times for the Spanish giants, scoring and assisting 29 times apiece to help the team to two UEFA Champions League titles and three LaLiga crowns among other honors.
"It is brilliant playing with him. You go into games knowing you can give him the ball and he is going to affect things" - Jude Bellingham hails Kylian Mbappe after hat-trick for Real Madrid against Man City
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has hailed Kylian Mbappe after his hat-trick against Manchester City. The Frenchman is in an incredible run of form and has scored in his last four matches across competitions.
Speaking to the press after the game, Bellingham hailed the World Cup winner for his ability to find the back of the net, saying via Goal:
"It is brilliant playing with him. You go into games knowing you can give him the ball and he is going to affect things. Our jobs behind him and the rest of the front three is to try and get them into the best positions possible and I myself try and get in the box too."
"You know when Kylian gets the ball in the areas he likes on the pitch he is going to be dangerous. Left foot or right foot. He scored a few different types of goals today. It is incredible what he has done in his career. I know he had a slow start here and took time getting used to life here. Now he is flying and it's so good to see," the Englishman added.
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2024. He has scored 27 goals and provided three assists in 37 games for the club. He has played 2456 minutes across 32 games with Jude Bellingham, combining for four goals and averaging 2.16 points per game.