Madrid continued their flawless start to the 2025-26 season after conjuring their sixth La Liga win in as many games following a hassle-free 4-1 victory over newly-promoted Levante on Tuesday. Bellingham, who underwent shoulder surgery in July and only became available for selection last week, made his second appearance of the season after coming on as a substitute, replacing Mastantuono.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Mastantuono – who got his first Real Madrid goal since his arrival from River Plate – was lavish in his praise for Bellingham, having already expressed his “love” for the 22-year-old in the past.
“Incredible player! If we can play with 12, even better! Bellingham is incredible, incredible,” said the Argentine. “A player who impressed me, a wonderful person, and a unique footballer. Honestly, I’ve never seen a player like him: such hierarchy, presence on the pitch. I hope he can play as soon as possible, because he’ll help us a lot.”
Mastantuono continued to express his admiration for Bellingham when asked which player had caught his attention the most. “Bellingham, Bellingham. Because of what I just said: he has a presence and a level of authority I’ve never seen before. His calmness and determination make him a different kind of player,” the teenage sensation added.
In his 23-minute cameo on Tuesday, Bellingham showed what Madrid had been missing. He provided calm in the middle third, showed incredible press resistance, and crashed the box in search of a goal, which he nearly did. While the likes of Arda Guler and Mastantuono have stepped up in the English international’s absence, one of them will have to make way.
Aurelien Tchouameni has been labelled by head coach Xabi Alonso as a “pillar”, while Fede Valverde is the Steven Gerrard of his Madrid team, in the coach’s words. Ahead of the game against Levante, the former Liverpool, Madrid, and Bayern midfielder revealed that Guler – his personal project in central midfield – and Bellingham can co-exist. “They play in a very similar role, but the good thing is they can also play together,” Alonso told reporters on Monday. “Arda can link-up from the back, while Jude operates more upfront.”
That leaves Mastantuono as the most likely player to make way for Bellingham’s eventual return to the lineup. In all fairness, the Argentine international has been highly impressive, even notching up his first goal for Madrid on Tuesday. It would be unfortunate if he were to be dropped to the bench, having made five starts in Madrid’s seven games of the season so far.
The upcoming fixture is perhaps Alonso’s toughest challenge yet, as Los Blancos take on the underperforming cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano on Saturday. This game will prove to be a litmus test for Alonso and his players, as the outcome will determine just how much progress this project has made.
