Thank God for Bale
Saturday afternoon took us on a rollercoaster of emotions. First it was euphoria, as Bale’s goal at Anoeta got our hearts racing. Then came uneasiness and anxiety, when Griezmann’s goal saved Atleti from stumbling against Rayo. And finally, irritation when Barcelona won against ten men. For a change. This three-way race for the league title will go down to the wire and keep us on tenterhooks for another two weeks with the final round of matches, including Granada-Barça, Atleti-Celta and Deportivo-Madrid scheduled to be played on Saturday 14th May.
As each week passes each team has less margin for error. And next weekend, with all three teams kicking off at 5pm on Sunday, might see one or more stumble. Madrid will host Valencia at the Bernabéu, a team that’s caused us trouble in recent seasons. Espanyol could summon the spirit of Raul Tamudo in 2007 and the infamous Tamudazo. And Atleti have often struggled at the Ciutad de Valencia against Levante. Who could forget that 4-1 thumping in their opening game after relegation to Segunda all those years ago?
Back to Anoeta, and the Gareth Show. Let’s just enjoy the moment. Without Cristiano or Benzema, Bale rose to the occasion yet again, just as he did in Vallecas last week, and gifted us another magnificent performance. He’s now truly banished tjhat absurd image of him at the Estadio de Gran Canaria back in March rearranging his man bun and watching idly while Las Palmas pushed forward. He’s put on his superhero costume and isn’t taking it off. Cristiano’s absence has allowed him to shake off his stage fright; now he demands the ball, shoots whenever he can and uses his head as if it were an industrial tunneling machine. His 80th minute header kept Madrid’s league title hopes alive.
And a final note on Zidane’s decima. Since losing the Madrid derby, the Frenchman has registered ten league wins on the trot, including a 7-1 thumping at home to Celta, 4-0 against Sevilla, the 1-2 win at the Camp Nou and the 2-3 comeback in Vallecas. Thank you, Zizou, it all began with you.