So far this season, it is not too much to say that Bellingham is the catalyst and inspiration for Real Madrid to win. But the reality is that over time, the English player will not be able to maintain his form forever.
At some point, in games, Bellingham will not be able to score or assist. And then, who will be the replacement for the 20-year-old midfielder?
In recent years, Los Blancos have always been proud of their attack line consisting of many of the world's top superstars. Cristiano Ronaldo may not score but Gareth Bale will speak up. Karim Benzema could miss a few games and Vinicius will replace him.
But up to now in this season, Real have not had the same quality. Benzema's departure was compensated by the excellence of Bellingham. But Bellingham had no one to share the burden of scoring.
Notably, so far, the Brazilian duo of Vinicius and Rodrygo have only scored 4 goals in all competitions. Of course, this is not the time for Real to worry too much about this. But when the season enters a key period, Carlo Ancelotti will need to shine in many positions.
Rodrygo has yet to return to scoring after scoring against Athletic Bilbao. Of his 30 shots this season, only 7 were on target. The Brazilian missed a penalty against Celta Vigo and wasted big chances against Getafe, Union Berlin and Las Palmas.
During that time, Rodrygo really had problems with his ability to choose positions and move. He spent much of his time at the Bernabeu playing on the right wing, with the ability to cut in and cause high breakthroughs. However, for now, Rodrygo is reluctantly taking on the role of "number 10".
After Benzema's departure, Rodrygo is expected to take on the "number 9" position until a new quality striker arrives. Instead, to serve Bellingham's boom, Rodrygo is having to sacrifice and play more widely.
Of course, Rodrygo is sometimes a victim of miraculous saves. But in the end, if Bellingham's position is a strategic breakthrough, Rodrygo's form is a big loss.
Vinicius, for his part, had another problem. The player suffered a hamstring injury at the end of August and was out for a month. Although Vinicius has appeared in 3 matches since his return, he still cannot have the best feeling.
The Brazilian's positioning change has also caused controversy this season. Like Rodrygo, Vinicius was asked to step inside, operating as a striker. That is the difference compared to the position that helped him become a world-class player in the last 2 seasons.
Limited travel space makes it impossible for Vinicius to show off his biggest strength is speed. The Brazilian player still has accelerations and solo passes, but not as often and effectively as before.
Vinicius has just had the most explosive season of his career, scoring 44 goals in all competitions for club and national team. Rodrygo has not reached the level of his compatriots but still has made a great contribution. Both are certainly capable of repeating similar form, or even better.
Above all, Ancelotti has enough experience to realize that it is impossible to put the responsibility of scoring goals on a player throughout the whole season...
