JUDE BELLINGHAM finally got himself off the mark for Real Madrid this season and ended a horror goal drought.
The England star was involved in the humiliating 4-0 El Clasico defeat with Barcelona last weekend before he was hooked as Madrid fell to a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League.
He reacted angrily by kicking a water bottle when he was substituted in the 74th minute of the latter.
However, the 21-year-old finally had something to smile about as Los Blancos cruised to a 4-0 La Liga win over Osasuna.
And the game came with personal vindication as he brought an end to a six-month goal drought.
Having already assisted Vinicius Jr. for 1-0, Bellingham had raced through on goal with a late curved run down the middle when Raul Asencio played an exquisite pass over the top into his path.
Bellingham then lobbed the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to score his first goal of the season after 13 games.
By contrast he scored 23 goals last season after a transfer from Borussia Dortmund as Madrid went on to win the La Liga and the Champions League.
His goalless period has coincided with the arrival of superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Thierry Henry explained how he thought Bellingham was doing too much trying to support frontman Vinicius and Mbappe.
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Henry said: “It’s always Bellingham trying to make the run, trying to make the team play, running in behind, trying to break the line.
“I think there is a little frustration. Your nine isn’t going, and your 10 is going. I know it can happen sometimes, but not all the time. Every single time.
“I know he (Mbappe) is not a [natural] number nine and that this maybe is not what he likes to do.
“Do you think he (Bellingham) likes to make those runs, try and stretch the team? He’ll do it because he has to do it, because his desire speaks, his will speaks.
“You don’t win games like that. You don’t win games with your 10 breaking the line, coming back, trying to bend his run, trying to defend, trying to go the other side.”
On his angry reaction to his substitution, he added: “I would have been upset too. I saw him kicking a bottle. I would be upset also, of course.”
The Osasuna win saw Vinicius Jr grab a hat-trick, including one featuring a peach of a pass from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin as he set the Brazilian forward away on a counter-attack after retrieving the ball from a corner.
However, Madrid suffered injuries to Rodrygo, Eder Miliato and Lucas Vazquez before half-time, adding to a list already containing Aurelien Tchouameni, Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba.
The win moves them six points behind league leaders Barcelona, who will play Real Sociedad on Sunday.
His return to goalscoring ways on the pitch comes after Bellingham seemed to drop a hint about his relationship status off of it.
Bellingham was seen liking Instagram posts of model Laura Celia Valk.
The Sun exclusively revealed in April that the pair had begun dating.
In the summer, Bellingham faced claims that the relationship was a “publicity stunt” – with the pair having not been seen together in public.
But the Real Madrid midfielder does follow Laura on Instagram.
Earlier this week, Laura posted a photodump, which included a snap of herself in a pink corseted dress.
Spotting Bellingham’s like, one fan commented: “Hey Jude Bellingham.”
While a second added: “Jude liked it”.
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