Carlo Ancelotti admits Jude Bellingham ‘not at his best’ as Real Madrid boss reveals why he subbed England star
CARLO ANCELOTTI admits Jude Bellingham was “not at his best” after subbing him off in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich.
The Champions League giants played out a tense first leg in their semi-final battle at the Allianz Arena.
Despite Bayern dominating the ball early on, it was Real who drew first blood when Vinicius Jr pounced onto Toni Kroos’ defence-splitting pass to fire past Manuel Neuer.
But Bayern bounced back in the second half and restored parity through Leroy Sane’s excellent finish.
Moments later they were ahead after Jamal Musiala was fouled in Real’s box by Lucas Vazquez.
Harry Kane stepped up to fire in the penalty, sending the Allianz Arena wild.
But Real ensured they had the final word when Kim Min-Jae gave away a penalty down the other end, allowing Vinicius to bag his second goal of the night.
All eyes will be locked on the Bernabeu next week when the two sides meet for the return leg.
And home supporters will be hoping for a much better showing from Bellingham after he was stifled on his return to Germany.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund ace struggled with the intensity of the game, with Thomas Tuchel ensuring his midfielders never stopped running and pressing.
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Real were eventually forced to bring Fede Valverde inside from the right wing to shore things up and regain some control.
And when Ancelotti decided to make some second-half subs, nobody was surprised when Bellingham’s No5 flashed up on the board.
Speaking after full-time, the England star’s boss admitted he did not have his finest night in a Los Blancos shirt.
But Ancelotti insists he subbed Bellingham as the star was suffering from cramps and could not continue.
Real’s manager said: “Bellingham was tired. He had cramps and I changed and put on more energy because Toni Kroos played a fantastic game.
“It was just to put more energy in midfield. He couldn’t continue any more. I have enough good plays on the bench, he will get back to his best performances.
“I think he was injured, which affected him, but today he wasn’t at his best. He will be back for sure and on Wednesday he will be at 100 per cent again.”