Bellingham mocks critics with drinking celebration
Jude Bellingham poked fun at his critics with his goal celebration in Real Madrid's 6-1 Champions League rout of Monaco.
Bellingham got Madrid's sixth goal as it earned a convincing victory in its first Champions League game under Alvaro Arbeloa.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice against his former club, while Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono were also on target and Thilo Kehrer put through his own net.
The victory made Madrid just the second side to score five goals in a match under two different coaches in the same Champions League campaign, having also won 5-0 against Kairat under Xabi Alonso.
Bayern Munich previously did so when winning the trophy in 2019-2020, beating Tottenham 7-2 under Niko Kovac, then routing Red Star Belgrade 6-0 and Barcelona 8-2 under Hansi Flick.
Los Blancos now sit second in the league-phase standings and have a chance of securing a top seed for the last 16, having ended a difficult week on a high.
After last week's Copa del Rey exit to second-tier Albacete, reports in the Spanish media claimed Bellingham was known to party frequently and was considered a poor trainer, and he celebrated his goal against Monaco by miming drinking from a bottle.
The England star hit back at those claims in his post-match interview with TNT Sports, saying: "A lot of people like to say a lot of things; it feels like anyone can get in front of a camera now and everyone believes it with absolutely no evidence.
"There are two ways to react to it – you can cry about it and moan, or you can enjoy it. I gave a joke back to the fans. I know the truth and it's nice to have a bit of a joke."
Madrid was booed by its own supporters throughout Sunday's 2-0 win over Levante in LaLiga, but there was a very different atmosphere around the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I think to finally win with a lot of conviction, it felt different," Bellingham said. "We played well today, we played with the right intensity from the start.
"I've always said that fans work all week, they pay their money and save up to come to Real Madrid games and support us, so they can say what they want.
"I don't think it's always helpful for the team, speaking from experience, it's not the nicest thing in the world, but they're entitled to their opinion. This is how we have to react."
Vinicius was treated to a particularly harsh treatment from his own supporters at the weekend, but he put on a show against Monaco with a goal and two assists, also creating a game-high seven chances for team-mates and forcing Kehrer's own goal.
"He was really sharp, he looked dangerous every time he had the ball. I never doubted him," Bellingham said of his team-mate.
"He is a player who thrives when he gets love. When the atmosphere changed towards him today, he became so much more joyful to watch and to play with. Hopefully, he can continue."
