Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham dealt Champions League suspension

Real Madrid will face the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 without Jude Bellingham following his suspension due to yellow card accumulation. The English midfielder received his third yellow card of the 2024–25 Champions League campaign during Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, leading to a 6-3 aggregate win.

Bellingham’s crucial booking occurred in the 38th minute after a late challenge on Phil Foden, prompting Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs to issue a yellow card. As a result, Bellingham will miss the upcoming clash against either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, forcing manager Carlo Ancelotti to play the important first leg without his top playmaker.

The 21-year-old has been essential for Los Blancos this season, featuring in all 10 of their Champions League fixtures, contributing three goals and three assists. His absence presents a significant challenge for Madrid’s attacking dynamics. Brahim Diaz or Arda Guler are likely candidates to fill the void left by Bellingham in the Round of 16.

The suspension coincides with the day Jude Bellingham was issued a two-match La Liga ban for the red card he received during the 1-1 draw against CA Osasuna. The dismissal resulted from dissent towards referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero, who reported Bellingham for using offensive language, though the player denied any insult.

Madrid secured their spot in the knockout stages thanks to an incredible performance by Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick against Manchester City in the second leg. This made Kylian Mbappe the only player to have scored in both legs of a Champions League knockout tie against a Pep Guardiola-managed side twice, once with AS Monaco in 2016-17 and now with Madrid. His seven goals in this season’s Champions League tie him with Cristiano Ronaldo (2009-10) and Justo Tejada (1961-62) for the most goals scored by a player in their debut European Cup/Champions League season for Madrid.

Real Madrid will now shift its focus to upcoming La Liga matches against Girona FC and Real Betis, both of which Bellingham will miss due to his La Liga suspension.