In a thrilling match against Juventus on Wednesday night, Jude Bellingham finally found the back of the net for Real Madrid, marking his first goal of the season.

The talented English midfielder, who has faced a challenging start to the season due to injuries, broke the deadlock shortly after the halftime break, giving Los Blancos a 1-0 lead.

After a lackluster first half from Xabi Alonso’s team, the second half saw a revitalized performance. Bellingham, alongside teammates Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, showcased their brilliance on the field.

Bellingham’s goal was a moment of pure skill, as he struck the ball with precision and celebrated with enthusiasm, likely hoping to catch the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel.

Earlier this month, Tuchel made headlines when he omitted Bellingham—despite the player being declared fit—from England’s latest international lineup, a decision that surprised many.

Jude Bellingham netted his first goal of the season on Wednesday for Real Madrid

The Englishman latched onto a deflection off the post to fire home from close range 

Bellingham had been ruled out of the previous squad in early September with a shoulder injury but Tuchel preferred the likes of Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze to the Real Madrid midfielder for his side’s clashes with Wales and Latvia.

Explaining his decision, Tuchel cryptically praised England’s ‘team spirit’ during the earlier fixtures from which Bellingham was omitted.  

‘The last camp was only three and a half weeks ago. Teamwork, team spirit were at the highest level so far.  

‘That’s why we decided to invite the same group into this camp, to make more stable what we started to build. Are there players out there who deserve to be with us? Yes, for sure. Is there a way back into the team through performance? 100 per cent.

‘We think this is the best and most straightforward position. The competition is on to be in the squad and to make it onto the pitch. I understand your focus on Jude [Bellingham]; he is a very special player, and for special players, there are special rules.

‘But for this camp we decided to stick with out decision to invite the same team, that also applies to Jude. He always deserves to be in camp.

‘There is also the situation that he hasn’t gathered his full rhythm for Real Madrid. He hasn’t finished one full match until now; he has only started one now.

‘He is getting back to full strength. We had a phone call. There is no issue from that side, he just lacks rhythm.’

Bellingham was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad earlier this month despite being fully fit

Bellingham’s woes were later compounded with the news that his parents, Mark and Denise, had split. 

The Daily Mail revealed earlier this month that the pair, who are widely credited with having masterminded their two sons’ careers, brought their two-decade-long marriage to an end following years of living in separate countries.

Rumours of the couple’s split began to emerge a week or so earlier when they were spotted sitting unusually apart to watch Jobe, Jude’s younger brother, play against Athletic Bilbao for Borussia Dortmund.  

A German newspaper suggested there was a ‘dangerously tense atmosphere’ surrounding the family at the match, with Mark, 49, only talking to a close family member during the game, and not 57-year-old Denise, who was said to have avoided conversation.

Sources close to the couple then confirmed that Mark had grown close to Shelley Punshon, a detective constable in the West Mercia police.

The Daily Mail revealed earlier this month that Jude’s parents, Mark and Denise, had split

The Bellingham brothers had often credited their parents with being instrumental in their success

It is not clear how the pair met, but Ms Punshon uploaded a picture of the couple looking comfortable together to her public Facebook profile in August. The photograph, taken on a woodland track, features a smiling Mark standing behind Ms Punshon, with an arm draped around her.

Bellingham has however seemingly not been phased by news of his parents’ break-up, with the midfielder back to his best against Juve on Wednesday. 

His goal proved to be the only of the game, with Madrid holding on to a 1-0 win to make it three wins out of three in the Champions League. 

He’ll now no doubt be eyeing a spot in the next England squad for their games against Serbia and Albania in mid-November.