In the absence of Erling Haaland, someone has to take leadership. It seems that Jude Bellingham will be the top player and he will have a massive influence on the attacking line.
Bellingham as the top youngest in the league
Jude Bellingham is arguably one of European football’s most exciting teenage prospects right now, and his sensational solo strike against Arminia Bielefeld on Matchday 9 only strengthens that assumption. Watching him in action, it’s hard to believe Jude Bellingham is still only 18. In Dortmund’s opening-night 2-1 UEFA Champions League win at Besiktas, the teenager quite literally ran the show; on the greatest stage – and one of the most intimidating ones at that – he orchestrated events like an old master.
It was not surprising, after opening the scoring with a wonderful finish at the near post and producing an exceptional assist for Erling Haaland to net Dortmund’s second with a fine dribble and cut-back pass from among a pack of Besiktas players, he was named by UEFA Technical Observer Cosmin Contra as the Player of the Match.
First goal in the Champions League
By netting Dortmund’s first Champions League goal of the season, he also bettered French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe to become the youngest player in history to score in consecutive Champions League fixtures. With 56 touches, 10 challenges won and seven recoveries, he was more than worthy of his award after such a show of maturity.
Bellingham has been a starter on every matchday in the Bundesliga so far this season, and that says enough of how highly he features in the thoughts of new coach Marco Rose. His poise and consistency bely his youth and placed him right at the heart of this BVB team, begging the question: is Bellingham Dortmund’s best player? With the free-scoring Haaland sidelined for several weeks due to injury, Bellingham has an opportunity to further that claim, and his solo effort last weekend was evidence that he is willing and able to rise to the occasion, with the spotlight now focusing more and more on his unquestionable talent.