Henry: Bellingham delivered a phenomenal performance against Barcelona, and Real Madrid are a tough opponent

Former Barcelona striker focuses on the English star's brilliance

Thierry Henry has hailed Jude Bellingham's display in Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Barcelona in the latest Clasico, insisting the England midfielder was outstanding thanks to his ability to keep the ball, beat opponents and conjure solutions across every phase of play.

Henry said, via the "Betway Insider" blog: "What he did was real madness."

Kylian Mbappe grabbed both goals and the man of the match award. Yet Henry chose to shine the spotlight on Bellingham, praising the midfielder's impact on the Madrid performance and his knack for making a difference away from the numbers.

The former Barcelona striker said: "The way he played reminded me of England's match against Mexico. He was protecting the ball, turning in the face of opponents, winning fouls and finding the right pass, or driving forward with the ball himself."

Real Madrid's collective display also earned Henry's approval. He reckoned the side produced, for the first time this season, the level he had been waiting for, particularly in defence and in attacking transitions.

He said of the Royal club: "They were extremely hard to break down, they kept their shape and they were very dangerous on the counter-attack."

Yamal and Mbappe

Beyond the Clasico result, Henry looked to the future of the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. He predicted that Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal would lead a long-term battle between the two sides, echoing the duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during their years of dominance over Spanish football.

Henry said: "Yamal and Kylian will lead a very long rivalry in La Liga, and they may also compete to win the Ballon d'Or."