Declan Rice Outshines Jude Bellingham to Win Fiery Duel with Emphatic Finish

Jude Bellingham has quickly become a fan favorite at Real Madrid, and one of the main reasons is his complete embrace of the club's culture. Standing tall and unafraid, he confidently wears the No.5 shirt—once made iconic by Zinedine Zidane—and backs it up with his words and actions.

Ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Bernabeu, Bellingham hyped up the idea of a "remontada," the Spanish term for a dramatic comeback. On the pitch, he tried to get under the skin of Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, and Bukayo Saka, much like he had done with Myles Lewis-Skelly in the first leg.

Mind games have always been a part of Real Madrid's approach, but this time, they failed to rattle the Arsenal players. In fact, it was Rice who left the stronger impression. Across the two legs, it was clear who emerged on top. Rice delivered two stunning free kicks in the first leg at the Emirates and was equally brilliant in the return at the Bernabeu, putting in a dominant midfield performance that helped secure Arsenal’s victory.

Rice was everywhere—protecting his defense, commanding the middle of the park, and driving forward with purpose. After witnessing this, it’s hard to see how Thomas Tuchel can continue to use Rice as a holding No.6. It’s time to let him loose as a proper No.8.

Jude Bellingham has quickly captured the hearts of Real Madrid fans, and much of it comes down to how fully he has embraced the club’s culture. Standing tall and unfazed, he wears the No.5 shirt—once worn by the legendary Zinedine Zidane—with pride, backing up his confidence with both words and deeds.

Ahead of the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu, Bellingham stirred up talk of a "remontada," the Spanish term for a thrilling comeback. On the pitch, he tried to get under the skin of Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, and Bukayo Saka, much like he had done with Myles Lewis-Skelly in the first leg.

However, the mind games that have long been a staple of Real Madrid's strategy didn’t work on the Arsenal players. In fact, it was Rice who made the stronger statement. Over the course of the two legs, it was clear who came out on top. Rice scored two incredible free kicks in the first leg at the Emirates and was just as outstanding in the return at the Bernabeu, delivering a dominant performance in midfield that was crucial to Arsenal’s win.

Rice controlled the game—protecting his defense, commanding the midfield, and driving the team forward. After seeing this, it’s hard to imagine Thomas Tuchel continuing to use Rice as a holding No.6. It’s time to let him loose as a more attacking No.8.

Bellingham certainly seemed to say something to Saka before his own disastrous penalty miss, and you can’t fault him for trying every trick in the book. In fact, it’s about time more England players adopt such street-smart tactics—something Real Madrid players are well known for.

But let's not forget that last season, Bellingham was sensational in his debut year at the club, winning the biggest prize of all—the Champions League. This season, like many of his teammates, he’s faced more challenges. The new formation seems unbalanced, and it’s clear that cramming so many attacking players into one system isn’t doing Bellingham any favors.

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Ultimately, this may be the reason Carlo Ancelotti loses his job—sometimes, you have to leave players out in order to create a balanced lineup. Real Madrid appeared unbalanced, out of form, and far from their best against Arsenal.

That said, part of their struggles were due to Arsenal making them look this way. Rice controlled the midfield in both legs, and there's no doubt that, in the world of competition, players will understand when it's necessary to do whatever it takes to secure a win when they reunite for England duty.

However, Rice's performances must have given Thomas Tuchel plenty to think about regarding his positioning. He’s far too talented to be restricted to the No.6 role. But would playing him as a No.8 clash with Bellingham’s role?

These are the kinds of problems Tuchel will need to figure out because simply selecting the 11 best players and letting them play won’t always work. It didn’t for Lee Carsley, and it certainly hasn’t been working for Real Madrid.

What’s clear now is that Bellingham is still the star, the darling of the Bernabeu, but it was Rice who took the spotlight and headlines this time.