By BEN WINSTANLEY
Published: 17:51 EST, 7 December 2025 | Updated: 17:51 EST, 7 December 2025
Jude Bellingham was left with a bloody face after taking a blow to the head on a miserable night for nine-man Real Madrid that saw them slip further behind rivals Barcelona in the La Liga title race.
With his side 1-0 down to Celta Vigo after an hour, the England midfielder suffered a cut below his eyebrow after a stray elbow to his head and was forced to leave the field with blood pouring down his face.
To add insult to injury, he was then cautioned after returning to the field of play without the referee's permission.
In bizarre scenes, team-mate Fran Garcia was then sent off after receiving two yellow cards for two fouls in the space of a minute - much to the horror of manager Xabi Alonso, who appeared visibly angry at the 26-year-old, with Spanish outlet Marca reporting him as shouting 'Fran, don't mess with me!' from the technical area.
Ten-man Real Madrid failed to mount a comeback and they went down to nine men after left-back Alvaro Carreras picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Jude Bellingham goes off with blood pouring down his face after a nasty clash at the Bernabeu
And, with the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold watching on from the stands, they then conceded a second goal as Swedish striker Williot Swedberg bagged his second of the game.
It now leaves them four points behind Barcelona, having dropped points in four of their last five La Liga matches following a blistering start to the season that saw them win 10 out of their opening 11. At one stage they had a five-point lead at the top.
And Sky Sports commentator Rob Palmer delivered a damning verdict on Real's plight, writing on X last night: 'In three decades of commentating on Real Madrid… I don’t think I’ve seen such a desperate situation. Players listless. Xavi Alonso powerless. Militao adding to long list of injured defenders. Carreras & Fran Garcia both sent off.'
Alonso must now pick his side up before they host Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. They are at least well set in that competition, having won four of their first five.
Alexander-Arnold will not be part of the squad, having been ruled out for around two months with a quad injury suffered in last week's 3-0 win at Athletic Bilbao.