Why Bellingham can rescue Real's Champions League dream

Real Madrid visit Bayern Munich on Wednesday knowing they must produce something special to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit and keep their Champions League dream alive.

They were second best for long periods at the Bernabeu, with the German champions in control before a late push from the Spanish giants shifted the momentum.

Much of that improvement - and Kylian Mbappe's goal - followed the introduction of Jude Bellingham in the 62nd minute.

For the remainder of the encounter, the England midfielder drove Los Blancos with his trademark surging runs, and played a central role in their resurgence after going two goals down.

So can Bellingham prove the catalyst to carry Real into a 17th Champions League semi-final and lift Alvaro Arbeloa's side in La Liga, where they are nine points behind leaders Barcelona with seven games left.

Finding his rhythm after injury frustration

Bellingham has made 32 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions this season with six goals and four assists.

Since recovering from a left hamstring injury sustained in February that sidelined him for 10 games, he has featured four times, only returning to Real's starting line-up on Friday in the La Liga draw against Girona.

"I feel good," said Bellingham before the return tie in Munich. "It's frustrating to be injured.

"I missed the start of the season because of my shoulder, and these last two months have been frustrating.

"The hardest part is coming back from an injury and preparing mentally for matches. The more minutes you play, the better, and that increases your confidence and helps you improve little by little."

Arbeloa has been pleased with the 22-year-old following his return.

"It was very good for him to regain his rhythm and feel for the game. Understandably, he's quite tired after being sidelined for so long. We have to be very happy with his performance."

Bellingham has remained involved in Real's set-up during his recovery, valued as much for his influence off the pitch as for his contribution on it.

That included travelling to Manchester for their last-16 second-leg tie against Pep Guardiola's City.

"Bellingham wanted to come with his team-mates. I'm very happy to see him getting closer to the team," added Arbeloa on why Bellingham was part of that squad.

"It's important for him to be around his team-mates. In the team talk and at half-time, he'll be one of the leaders, as he always is."

Bellingham was also included in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for March's international friendlies, although he did not play any minutes.

Tuchel, however, has also stressed the value of his presence in camp, saying: "We have all gained from him being part of it. He was excellent in training."

Bellingham will also come up against his Three Lions captain and team-mate Harry Kane, who will lead the Bayern attack in Munich and scored the second of his side's goals in the first leg.

"Harry Kane is a sensational player," he admitted. "It's a source of pride to have him in the England squad, and I think they're going to win the Bundesliga even though my brother [Jobe] is at Borussia Dortmund."

'Any defeat is a disaster - it's all or nothing'

The fixture against Bayern is one that carries added weight for Bellingham.

During his time at former club Borussia Dortmund, he was often on the losing side in key encounters, including a dramatic Bundesliga title race in the 2022-23 campaign that was settled by goal difference in Bayern's favour after results on the final day.

"Bayern always compete at the highest level", added Bellingham. "I played here with Dortmund and I know how tough it is."

He will be keen to make an impact, given Bellingham has faced Bayern more than any other side in his career, but struggled to make a decisive impact.

Across 11 previous meetings, he has been on the winning side just once, registering three assists but unable to score.

Even so, there remains a feeling among Real supporters the narrative could still shift.

"I think it will be difficult, and it's our fault we're behind on the scoreboard. It's going to be a very long tie, and we have to come out strong," added Bellingham.

"Any defeat is a disaster, and seeing where we are, it's a final. We have a lot at stake, and we have to play well. It's all or nothing."

Former Real and Portugal winger Luis Figo has no doubt Bellingham can be decisive on the biggest stage.

"He showed in the first leg that he can come on and change the game. He has the quality to make the difference," he told Spanish media.

"For me, he should always be on the pitch."

Bayern have their own motivation for revenge, having been eliminated by Real on seven occasions in the Champions League, more than any other club has suffered at the hands of a single opponent in the competition.

Real have won their last four knockout ties against the six-time European champions and are also undefeated (three wins and a draw) in their past four visits to the Allianz Arena since 2012.

'This feels like a final'

The suspension of Aurelien Tchouameni for accumulation of yellow cards is a major blow to Real Madrid, leaving a gap at the base of midfield.

In his absence, Arbeloa used Eduardo Camavinga deeper alongside Bellingham against Girona. After the 1-1 draw, the Real boss noted the Frenchman "feels very comfortable as a defensive midfielder".

When asked if that set-up could continue in Munich, Arbeloa added: "We'll see, we'll see on Wednesday. But yes, I think we saw Bellingham looking good."

Bellingham himself said he was adaptable and added: "In my first season, we played with three in midfield and my position has changed. I've spent a year more on the left and with Arbeloa I play a bit deeper.

"I can play in different positions and I can do it well, but that's both good and bad because I have to adapt. When I'm scoring goals I want to score more, but I also have to defend."

Another option could be to prioritise control by bringing Federico Valverde into a more central role, allowing Bellingham and Arda Guler to occupy the wings.

However, Valverde's impact from the right, both physically and offensively, makes that a difficult trade-off.

With no like-for-like replacement for Tchouameni, his absence has left Arbeloa with a big call to make if his side are to maintain hope of lifting the trophy for a 16th time.

"Any defeat in the Champions League is a disaster for Real Madrid," he added.

"It might seem like we're under a lot of pressure because we're in a tough spot in the league and we're not in the cup either, so this feels like a final."