Stats suggest Real Madrid perform much better without their midfield megastar | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham’s injury initially felt like a serious setback for Real Madrid at a critical point in the campaign. 

However, as Los Blancos push forward in both the La Liga title race and the Champions League round of 16, the data surrounding his absence tells a story few expected.

Bellingham was forced off shortly after kick-off against Rayo Vallecano with a muscle problem that has taken longer than anticipated to heal. 

There is now a real possibility he could be sidelined until April. While his quality is undisputed, Madrid’s performances without him have been strikingly efficient.

Since his arrival, Real Madrid have played 162 matches in all competitions. 

Bellingham has featured in 128 of those games, leaving 34 matches where he did not participate. 

The contrast between those two scenarios is difficult to ignore.

Real Madrid with and without Bellingham

As per Mundo Deportivo, with Bellingham on the pitch, Madrid have won 86 matches, which represents a 67.2% success rate, while suffering 22 defeats, equating to 17.2%. 

Without him, the win rate rises dramatically. Madrid have claimed victory in 28 of 34 games, a remarkable 82.4%, and have lost just three times, which is only 8.8%.

Real Madrid have a better record when Bellingham is not playing. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The attacking output does not drop in his absence either. When Bellingham plays, Madrid average 2.22 goals per match while conceding 1.18. 

Without him, the scoring average increases slightly to 2.35 goals per game. The most notable shift comes at the defensive end, where goals conceded fall sharply to 0.76 per match. 

That reduction of almost half a goal per game has a major impact on overall stability.

There is more to it

Clean sheets also tell an important story, as Madrid keep a clean sheet in 35.2% of matches with Bellingham in the side, but that figure jumps to 50% without him. 

In fact, the team has scored in 100% of games during his absence, compared to 90.6% when he features.

In La Liga and the Champions League this season, opponents generate an average expected goals figure of 1.31 when Bellingham starts. That number drops significantly to 0.94 when he does not play.

With all due respect, this is not an argument against his talent. Bellingham is a long-term leader for Real Madrid. 

Yet his instinct to constantly drive forward can stretch the team’s midfield structure. In his absence, Madrid appear more compact, more measured and defensively secure.