Home Football JUDE FLAW: ‘He Needs to Concentrate on His Own Game’ – Fans Slam Jude Bellingham for Squaring Up to England Teammate Declan Rice Amid Heated Clash

JUDE FLAW: ‘He Needs to Concentrate on His Own Game’ – Fans Slam Jude Bellingham for Squaring Up to England Teammate Declan Rice Amid Heated Clash

Football — 04/17/2025

Jude Bellingham’s frustration boiled over during Real Madrid’s tense Champions League clash with Arsenal as he squared up to Declan Rice in a heated moment that summed up Los Blancos’ tough night.

With Real already trailing 3-0 from the first leg in North London, the pressure was on at the Bernabeu. Madrid looked eager to make a comeback, but Arsenal’s discipline and intensity kept them at bay. Emotions ran high throughout the match, and Bellingham’s fire was on full display when he clashed with Rice near the halfway line.

Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham fighting for the ball during a soccer match.

The two midfielders tangled while battling for possession, and after the ball rolled out of play, Bellingham got in Rice’s face. The confrontation was short-lived, as Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber quickly stepped in, and match officials moved in to break things up. Bellingham backed off, but the incident highlighted the tension bubbling beneath the surface.

The confrontation wasn’t the only flashpoint of the night. Just before the break, Dani Carvajal got involved in a heated exchange with Saka as both players made their way down the tunnel. The Madrid defender grabbed Saka by the neck and then jabbed a finger in his face, sparking a furious reaction. Teammates had to intervene before things escalated further.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Arsenal's Declan Rice arguing during a soccer match.

These fiery moments came amid high drama on the pitch. Saka had earlier missed a penalty, which Courtois saved brilliantly. Madrid thought they had earned one of their own when Kylian Mbappe went down in the box, but VAR overturned the call, ruling there was no foul by Declan Rice. UEFA later confirmed the decision.

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Saka made up for his miss with a composed finish in the 64th minute, only for Vinicius Jr to pounce on a Saliba mistake and equalize minutes later. But any hopes of a Madrid miracle were crushed in stoppage time when Gabriel Martinelli scored to seal Arsenal’s 2-1 win on the night and a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory.

Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid CF reacting during a Champions League match.

For Bellingham and Real Madrid, it was a night of missed opportunities and mounting frustrations — one where Arsenal’s composure and control won out over emotion and chaos.