At a glance
- Jude Bellingham and Dean Huijsen delivered two of Real Madrid’s strongest individual performances of the season in the 2-0 win over Espanyol.
- The Spaniard led all Real Madrid players with 107 actions, won three aerial duels and made four recoveries in his most assured display of the season.
- Real Madrid keep faint LaLiga title hopes alive, though Barcelona still lead by 11 points with four games remaining.
Real Madrid did not leave Cornellà with only three points. Jude Bellingham looked sharper than he has in months, and Dean Huijsen produced the kind of authoritative performance the club has been demanding all season.
In a campaign defined by injuries, inconsistency and internal noise, the 2-0 victory over Espanyol offered something Madrid genuinely needed: individual signs of life from two players who matter well beyond this year.
Bellingham and Huijsen revive as Real Madrid find two positives
The Englishman’s contribution went beyond his backheel assist for Vinicius Junior‘s second goal. Bellingham completed six dribbles, finished with 93.5% pass accuracy and registered 84 interventions – figures that point to a player reconnecting with his best qualities. He also produced three shots, matching Vinicius in attacking threat.
This is the version Madrid require: not just the forward-arriving Bellingham, but the one who connects phases, carries under pressure and still provides a goal threat. With the World Cup approaching, those are exactly the minutes he needed.
Huijsen delivers his most mature display in a Madrid shirt
Huijsen’s night was less flashy but arguably just as significant. The centre-back finished with 107 actions – more than any other Real Madrid player on the pitch – while also winning three aerial duels and making four recoveries.
For a player who has faced criticism this season for lacking presence in defensive moments, it was a meaningful response. He looked more assertive, more willing to defend forward, and more comfortable reading the game at this level. His case for a place in Spain’s World Cup squad may rest on performances exactly like this one.
A result that changes little, but matters for both Bellingham and Huijsen
Madrid’s LaLiga title challenge remains a formality in the wrong direction. Barcelona’s 11-point lead with four games to play makes a comeback almost mathematical impossibility. But individual recoveries have their own value, particularly at this stage of a season.
Bellingham can use the final weeks to reset a year that has been tactically awkward. Huijsen can shape how Madrid assess him ahead of the summer. Vinicius won the game at Cornellà. But these two gave the club a reason to think carefully about what comes next.
