Jude Bellingham admitted he was stunned by Declan Rice’s unexpected free-kick double in Real Madrid’s 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Arsenal.
However, he insists the Spanish giants are fully focused on mounting a historic comeback.
“Declan Rice’s free-kicks were surprising! I’ve not seen him do that before,” Bellingham said with a laugh. “So fair play to him.”
Despite the shock result at the Emirates, Bellingham revealed that belief in the Real Madrid camp remains unshaken.
“By the time we were back on the bus in London, we were all believing that we could come back in the tie,” he stated.
“We’re going with the mentality that only a comeback is possible. We have confidence because of the club’s history.”
Referencing the club’s legendary comeback culture, Bellingham added: “The comebacks in the 70s and 80s… I’ve seen them on TikTok. That’s my source of education,” he quipped.
He also disclosed the atmosphere within the squad: “The most used word in the dressing room in the last days is Remontada [the comeback].”
