Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus: Bellingham and Courtois prevent a setback for Los Blancos before Clásico

Real Madrid achieved a hard-fought victory on Wednesday against Juventus at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (1-0). A goal from Jude Bellingham in the 57th minute made the difference in favor of Xabi Alonso's team, who gain confidence before next Sunday's Clásico against FC Barcelona, despite continuing to raise many doubts with their defensive performance.

Juventus had at least 5 clear chances to hurt the Whites' defense, but Thibaut Courtois's saves prevented greater evils for a very fragile defense, mainly on the flanks. Fede Valverde and Álvaro Carreras continue to raise many doubts in recovery tasks and space coverage.

In the center, Éder Militao seems to be returning to his best level, but from midfield forward, the Whites still have noticeable deficiencies in their buildup play. Arda Güler returned to the starting XI alongside Brahim Díaz, giving some more depth to a team that usually depends heavily on the flashes of brilliance from Vinicius and Kylian Mbappé.

Sterile dominance by Real Madrid in the first half

In the first half, Real Madrid had ample dominance in possession (71%), but Juve created danger on the counter. Kalulu and McKennie had very good opportunities, both contained by Courtois and Tchouaméni. Brahim and Güler also tested the reflexes of Di Gregorio, who completed a remarkable day.

After a rather lackluster opening quarter of an hour, Xabi Alonso's men took control of the match, while the Italians waited, falling back near their area. Juve's plan was clear: reduce space and break quickly on the counter, with Dusan Vlahovic as their offensive reference.

Vlahovic Pardoned and Bellingham Weighed a Rebound to Give Victory to Madrid

The Serbian, already in the second half, had the best chance for the 'Vecchia Signora' in the 49th minute. The '9' received a long ball in the center circle and beat Militao in speed after a remarkable run. However, Courtois deflected his shot with his foot, sending the ball to the corner.

Nine minutes later, the only goal of the match came. Vinicius broke down the left and fired a cross-shot. The ball hit the post, but the rebound fell to Bellingham. The Englishman appeared like a ghost in the center of the area and only had to push it into the empty net.

Jude Bellingham celebrating his goal against Juventus

Madrid came close to 2-0 in the 70th minute, but Di Gregorio shone with a spectacular double save after two very powerful shots from Mbappé and Brahim. Xabi Alonso tweaked his XI with the entry of Camavinga, Gonzalo, Fran García, and Manstantuono. Changes that did not sit entirely well with a Madrid side that suffered in the final quarter of an hour.

Asencio saved a point-blank shot from Openda in the 85th minute, while Courtois, in added time, reappeared to clear a long-range shot from Kostic. Despite the Bianconeri's siege, there were no last-minute surprises and the 'merengues' reached 9 points. Juve, meanwhile, has only added a couple of draws in three games.

In the next match, the Italians host Sporting de Portugal, while Madrid must visit Liverpool. Now, the 'merengues' are focusing on Barça, who they will host next Sunday with the LaLiga leadership at stake.

Match data: Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus

• Real Madrid, 1: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio (Gonzalo, min. 88), Militao, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Arda Güler (Camavinga, min. 75), Bellingham; Brahim (Mastantuono, min. 84), Vinicius (Fran García, min. 84) y Mbappé.
• Juventus, 0: Di Gregorio; Kelly, Gatti, Rugani; Cambiaso (Kostic, min. 88), McKennie, Thuram (Conceiçao, min. 62), Pierre Kalulu, Yildiz (Openda, min. 75); Koopmeiners (Locatelli, min. 75) y Dusan Vlahovic (Jonathan David, min. 75).
• Goals: 1-0, Jude Bellingham, min. 58.
• Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia). Booked Brahim Díaz for Real Madrid.
• Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
• Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26.