Bale: "We know we’ve got a difficult group"
Real Madrid forward and Wales captain Gareth Bale spoke ahead of his side's Euros Group A debut against Switzerland at the Olympic Stadium in Baku.
Gareth Bale spoke to the press ahead of Wales’ Group A opener against Switzerland in Baku, with the Real Madrid forward saying he is in good shape and hoping his side can make their mark at the European Championship as they did at the last tournament in 2016 when they reached the semi-finals.
“We are really excited about playing our first game, we have prepared well. We know we’ve got a difficult group but we have the same mentality as always. Our strength is that we always play well against tough teams,” Bale said. “We know we have some very difficult opponents. Switzerland are in the top 10 of the FIFA ranking, Turkey have been getting stronger and Italy are always a top side because of their history.”
Bale: "I’m not worried that I haven’t been scoring"
Bale has gone 11 games for Wales without finding the net but believes the unity of the side will be key to their chances of progressing. “We have played in different ways during the qualifiers and the Nations League. We have to play our game and not worry about everybody else. I want to score, of course, but I’ve had six or seven assists. I’m not worried that I haven’t been scoring. If I give assists and create chances, I’m not concerned. I feel good, fresh, I was scoring goals at the end of the season in the Premier League and I’ve been getting better every game.”