♦ Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham go head-to-head at the Etihad on Wednesday
♦ The England duo have lit up the Premier League and LaLiga this season
♦ Arsenal must recover in Munich – they can’t carry the fear from Villa loss into Champions League showdown – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
English football’s two brightest talents cross paths again on Wednesday night as Manchester City host Real Madrid with a spot in the Champions League semi-final at stake.
Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham have both enjoyed standout seasons so far, which presents Gareth Southgate with an intriguing tactical conundrum ahead of the Euros.
Bellingham has made the England No 10 his own, while Southgate has deployed Foden on the right wing in the friendlies against Belgium and Brazil last month.
The 23-year-old has also played primarily wide for City, but has shone when deployed in the No 10 role this term and has previously made clear he sees it as his preferred long-term position.
From a statistical standpoint, it’s nigh-on impossible to separate Foden and Bellingham.
Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham go head-to-head in the Champions League tonight
The two cross paths last week as City held Real Madrid to a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their quarter-final tie
The two England stars have taken the Premier League and LaLiga by storm this season
The former has lit up the Premier League for City, racking up 14 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances.
Foden’s stunning effort in last week breathless 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu was his 22nd goal of the season in 45 appearances in all competitions this term along with 10 assists
‘He has this spark and incredible talent to score goals and create something,’ Guardiola said of Foden after his heroics in Madrid.
The highest-scoring midfielder in LaLiga, Bellingham has 20 goals and 10 assists to his name over 34 matches in all competitions.
Ahead of the first leg, Guardiola praised Bellingham’s ‘massive impact on Madrid’, a point echoed by Carlo Ancelotti on Tuesday.
‘For the future of Real Madrid he will be one of the most important players,’ he said.
‘Sometimes we forget he is only 20, he is a fantastic player.’
Arguably the only major point of difference between the two is their usage.
According to data from Opta, Foden has racked up almost 600 minutes on the pitch more than Bellingham, which translates to approximately an extra six-and-a-half matches.
Foden has five Champions League goals in seven games, with the most recent coming courtesy of a stunning effort at the Santiago Bernabeu last week
Foden has 22 goals and 10 assists to his name in 45 appearances in all competitions
Bellingham has four goals and three assists in seven Champions League games this term
The 20-year-old has already made Real Madrid’s midfield his own in his debut season in Spain
The figures are even closer when only Champions League appearances are considered.
Foden has five goals and three assists across 564 minutes on the pitch in seven games, while Bellingham has played 624 minutes across seven games and has four goals and three assists to his name.
Both players are absolutely pivotal figures to their respective teams, their importance highlighted by their passing stats per 90 minutes and their goals involvement.
Bellingham averages 56.6 touches per game to Foden’s 53.5 and has been involved in a goal every 99 minutes, while the figures rises to 111 for Foden.
The Real Madrid star has scored every 149 minutes this season, while his England teammate has found the net every 162 minutes.
Across all competitions, the City star averages 3.5 shots per 90 minutes and 1.5 shots per game respectively to his Real Madrid counterpart’s 2.6 and 1.2, but Bellingham has a better shot conversion rate – 23.5 to 16.1.
Bellingham edges Foden in terms of attempted dribbles per 90 minutes – 3.3 to 2.9 respectively – with both completing 89 percent of their passes.
Bellingham also leads Foden in terms of tackles per 90 minutes – 1.6 to 0.9 – and interceptions per 90 minutes – 0.8 to 0.4 – but the latter creates slightly more chances per game – 2.3 to 1.8.
Just like their respective clubs’ quarter-final tie, the duel between Foden and Bellingham is finely poised.