After Real Madrid’s ten-man squad scored late on Thursday night to win La Liga, Jude Bellingham celebrated with his fans.

Consequently, what happened?

Even though captain Nacho received his second red card of the year early in the second half against Alaves, Los Blancos prevailed and reclaimed the top spot in the league. The lone goal came from an unexpected place when little full-back Lucas Vazquez headed home Toni Kroos’ precise corner in the 92nd minute. To the pleasure of his teammates, Vazquez found himself with a surprising amount of space when Bellingham attracted the attention of a gaggle of Alaves defenders. He made no mistakes.

THOUGHS OF JUDE BELLINGHAM

Bellingham expressed his happiness on Instagram, writing, “A Christmas miracle for Lucas Vazquez! Until the end, good luck! [Until the very end]”

THE LARGER IMAGE

Girona’s draw at Real Betis and Madrid’s dramatic victory at the Mendizorroza put the team atop the table and level on points with La Liga’s surprise package, who has accelerated the pace of the title race. After a run of weak performances, Barcelona trails the two players by seven points at the end of the year with 45 points from just 18 games. Bellingham, the season’s biggest surprise, tops the scoring rankings at the end of the campaign after scoring an incredible 13 goals from midfield.

FUTURE PLANS FOR REAL MADRID?

After a few days off, Madrid will be back in action in three different tournaments during a hectic January schedule. 2024 begins with League and Spanish Cup play, followed by a trip to Saudi Arabia to compete for the first season’s trophy in the Spanish Super Cup.