Jude Bellingham has said Real Madrid are playing for their season in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich. Bayern hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. The match represents Madrid's last chance for silverware this season.
Real Madrid face Bayern Munich on Tuesday night with their European campaign on the line. Bayern won the first leg 2-1 last week, putting Madrid at risk of their first trophyless season in five years. Bellingham emphasized the stakes, stating, “We are aware of our situation and we are prepared mentally. Tomorrow is a final for us, in the end we are playing for the season. And we will try to give our best version.” He added that any Champions League defeat would be a disaster, calling it all or nothing with no more opportunities left in domestic competitions after a 1-1 draw with Girona and a Copa del Rey exit to Albacete, leaving them nine points behind Barcelona in La Liga. Bellingham, recovering from shoulder surgery and a hamstring injury, confirmed he is fully fit. He addressed challenges playing alongside Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, suggesting better balance if he shifts wings for more fluid play. Bayern legend Arjen Robben backed his former club to win the Champions League, calling them the better side but warning of Madrid's counter-attacks. “You can never write off Real,” Robben told Bayern’s website, praising Manuel Neuer's performance and Michael Olise's creativity in the first leg. Kick-off is at 20:00 BST at the Allianz Arena.
