Bellingham Recharged: The Secret Engine Behind Alonso's Madrid Makeover
19 October 2025
A New Madrid Phase Under Alonso
Jude Bellingham returns to Real Madrid after the international break as the focal point of a new phase under coach Xabi Alonso, who bets on the English star to be the linchpin of his tactical system, alongside Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.
After weeks of injuries and absences, the club regained balance and sharpened its dangerous attacking line ahead of the upcoming La Liga clash with Getafe, set for this Sunday.
According to AS, Alonso faces a complex challenge from the FIFA international break fatigue at Valdebebas, but the coach kept key players like Fede Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Bellingham in Madrid, while Mbappé returned early from his international duties.
Nevertheless, a long injury list remains, including Rudiger, Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Husayn, Mendy, and Ceballos.
Despite the hurdles, Alonso has a golden opportunity to shape a world-class attacking trio of Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinícius, with a combined market value of 510 million euros, more than a third of the team's total value.
Rare Moment
On the Getafe side, the team arrives at the match at full strength for the first time this season, a rarity after coach Jose Bordalás had to begin the campaign with only 15 players, 13 of whom were used on the pitch.
The Azulones' finances still limit the squad, and they only completed the squad after selling a player to Crystal Palace for 22 million euros. Still, Getafe started better than expected with 11 points, placing them in mid-table.
Getafe's season has had two clear phases: they won three of the first four matches (two away), but then failed to win the next four, drawing two. They have taken 6 of 15 away points and 5 of 9 at the Coliseum, where they have not lost yet (one win, two draws).
Despite limited resources, Bordalás has built a competitive team capable of challenging the giants. The side lacks a pure striker since Mayoral's injury, so winger Adrian Liso has been deployed as the lead forward.
Liso, who wasn't a regular starter for Real Zaragoza last season, has emerged as Getafe's top scorer with three goals, riding high after participating in the Under-20 World Cup.
The last victory Getafe earned at the Coliseum against Real Madrid was November 2022, but Bordalás remains confident his side can surprise the big clubs again. The Spanish coach, in his ninth season with the club (apart from a brief spell at Valencia), is known for turning every available energy into results. He is also among the early adopters of AI in tactical analysis, saying, "We have used artificial intelligence for several seasons now; it helps us develop daily work on the pitch."
Yet Getafe's intelligence is not only digital; on the field, Luis Milla serves as the team's axis and creator, contributing three assists in most games.
Getafe's success comes from attention to small details, such as the ability to disrupt the opponent's rhythm. In the latest duel with Osasuna, actual playing time was 48 minutes and 14 seconds (48%), compared with 65 minutes and 26 seconds (66%) in Real Madrid vs Villarreal. Getafe's market value stands at around 67.8 million euros, versus Madrid's 1.4 billion.
Beyond AI, Bordalás harnesses tactical discipline to extract maximum effort from his players. The squad's spark is a mix of grit, craft, and a little help from the robots.
Punchline 1: If Bellingham keeps scoring at this pace, Madrid might start selling popcorn at the Bernabéu—every goal comes with a free encore.
Punchline 2: AI in football? Great, now even the tactics file is on a second shift and needs a coffee break.
