Jude Bellingham absolved Kylian Mbappe of responsibility after the struggling Real Madrid star missed a crucial penalty against Liverpool. Mbappe’s poor spot-kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher with Los Blancos trailing 1-0 at Anfield.
Liverpool went on to seal a memorable 2-0 Champions League success to continue their remarkable start to life under Arne Slot. Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored against stuttering Real, who have been blighted by a number of injuries.
Carlo Ancelotti still had Bellingham and Mbappe, though. Both players failed to make a major impact on the game.
But Bellingham insisted his colleague was not to blame despite missing the opportunity to draw Real level. The England star told TNT Sports: “Obviously it’s a big moment in the game but it can happen.
“He’s a wonderful player but the pressure that he holds because of how good he is, is humongous. The penalty is not the reason why we lost the game.
“As a collective, we weren’t good enough on the night. They (Liverpool) performed better than us and it’s as simple as that.
“Kylian can keep his head high. I know for sure that he will produce many more moments that are huge for this club.”
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