Jude Bellingham produced another Man of the Match display as Dortmund beat Besitkas

Jude Bellingham starred once again for Borussia Dortmund, as his goal and assist helped the German side to a 2-1 victory over Besiktas in the Champions League.

Sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend that Bellingham is just 18 years-old, especially when he’s the one making the difference on important European nights, and displaying a level of maturity on the pitch that some players will never reach.

When he first arrived in Dortmund just over a year ago in a £25 million move from boyhood club Birmingham City, his combination of natural talent and physical prowess was clear to see, albeit quite raw. However, in such a short period of time, the teenager’s development has accelerated drastically, and it could be pinpointed to the fact that the club put a huge amount of faith into their youth.

As we’ve seen in the past, most notably with Jadon Sancho, many young Englishmen have taken the step to play in Germany at a crucial stage in their careers, in order to gain valuable experience while training and learning from some of the world’s best players.

It also provides them with the platform of the Bundesliga, and in Dortmund’s case, the Champions League to showcase their talent and challenge themselves in some of football’s most prestigious competitions. For Bellingham, this decision to take the next step and test himself at a higher level certainly won’t be one he regrets.

He’s always had the fundamental qualities to succeed, as his blend of height, intelligence, vision and skillfulness makes him the epitome of a modern-day box-to-box midfielder.

Couple that with his renowned willingness to learn and professional attitude, Bellingham’s future has never been out of his own hands, however, it was about finding an environment that can nurture his talent while allowing him to express himself.

That place is definitely at Dortmund and his performance on Wednesday night against Besiktas proved it. In the opening exchanges, the hosts were the team that took the initiative in the game and almost went ahead in the fifth minute.

Miralem Pjanic found fellow new signing Michy Batshuayi in the area, in which the latter chested the ball down and unleashed a fierce effort towards goal. Gregor Kobel sprawled himself to his right-hand side to produce an incredible save to deny the Belgian and to stop his side from going 1-0 down.

After weathering the storm in the early stages, Dortmund gradually grew into the game and took the lead after 20 minutes. As we’ve seen before, it was Bellingham who took control of proceedings, as his clever late run into the box was found by Thomas Meunier, in which he applied the finish to match.

One touch with his chest which took the ball away from the defender was followed by an even better second, when he drove his low shot through the legs of Ersin Destanoğlu from a tight angle, to put the visitors in control.

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Chances weren’t hard to come by for Marco Rose’s men after the opener, with Erling Haaland and Marco Reus squandering a couple which would usually see the net bulging, however on the stroke of half-time that changed when Bellingham provided another moment of quality to set up his Norwegian teammate.

Raphaël Guerreiro’s quick throw-in found the 18-year-old just inside the Besiktas area, in which he took the ball in his stride and effortlessly glided around Welinton as if he wasn’t there, before scanning his options to pick out an unmarked Haaland in the six-yard box for an easy tap-in.

It was an assist that truly summarised Bellingham’s game, showcasing the elegance he possesses on the ball to easily beat his marker, followed by the composure and awareness in order to find the correct pass. Heading into the break, Dortmund were 2-0 up courtesy of the brilliance of their number 22.

In the second 45 minutes, the dynamic changed with the emphasis on the home team to be brave in possession, in the hope of getting back into the game. Dortmund naturally sat deeper as they looked to preserve their two-goal advantage and only ventured forward when the time was right.

They nearly made it three when Haaland and Bellingham combined again on the counter, with the striker opting to thread the Englishman in behind on this occasion. The midfielder sat down Francisco Montero with some close control and then cut back inside onto his weaker left-foot past Valentin Rosier, creating the space for an effort that was well saved.

Moments prior to being substituted with 20 minutes left to play, Bellingham highlighted another facet of his game, which was crucial for Dortmund especially as they were up against it. Besiktas left-back, Fabrice Nsakala, attempted to take the youngster on in the area before trying his luck from distance, however, Bellingham tracked him all the way and threw his body on the line to block it out for a corner.

The Turkish side were able to pull one back just before the final whistle when Pjanic’s set-piece was met by Montero to head home from close-range, although, in the end, it turned out to be nothing but a consolation as Dortmund ran out 2-1 winners.

For someone so young, Bellingham’s game is so well-rounded and if this display has taught us something, it’s that Dortmund have a potential superstar on their hands.

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