Bale needs a goal in this Champions League
Gareth Bale has struggled to connect with his Real Madrid team-mates since that long drawn-out, eye-wateringly expensive transfer from Tottenham to Madrid in the summer of 2013. He’s not well integrated into the social life of the squad, with few Real team-mates heading over to his swimming pool to relax.
Bale, the strongest link in the BBC
But it’s true that he’s been the strongest link in the BBC in the decisive part of this season. When Cristiano or Bale have been injured he’s taken over the reins without batting an eyelid and heaps of determination. His best performances have come in Madrid’s late winning run in the Liga, with the side needing to win every match to have a chance of stopping Barça winning a title they had in the bag two months before the end of the campaign.
With that final sprint Bale finished on 19 goals in the Liga, but in the Champions League the Welsh player surprisingly has yet to score, despite having played in seven matches.
Decisive goal in Lisbon
Yesterday, Tuesday, was the second anniversary of his goal that put Real Madrd into the lead in Lisbon, after Godín’s opener and Ramos’ leveller that put the match into extra-time. Meaning Bale has been decisive in the two titles he’s won at Real Madrid, a Copa del Rey against Barcelona and the Champions League at Real Madrid - although of course it’s Ramos’ equaliser that everyone remembers because that was the key to the win.
Scoring where it really matters: Milan
Maybe Bale will continue to be the last to arrive at training and the first to leave, but on the pitch he looks less and less like a player competing with his multi-million euro price tag, Cristiano and the need to aspire to the Ballon d’Or. The more settled and relaxed he feels, the more useful he is for the team. It must be that he’s listening to his pesky agent less. What he needs to round off this sterling run of form is a goal where it really matters, in Milan, in the final of the Champions League.