Gareth Bale bounces back and other talking points as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 3-1

Andy West 01:17 18/09/2017
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  • Gareth Bale silenced his critics with a superb goal as Real Madrid cruised to a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad.

    Bale was booed during the Champions League win over Apoel Nicosia.

    He was quiet against Sociedad as well but in the 61st minute, showed incredible pace to race through on goal and score.

    Here, we look at three talking points from Madrid’s win.

    A STAR IS BORN

    Eyebrows were raised when Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid team selection revealed that he had placed his faith in inexperienced young striker Borja Mayoral to fill the gap left by suspended Cristiano Ronaldo and injured Karim Benzema.

    But the 20 year-old more than justified his manager’s decision by making a crucial contribution to his team’s vital victory, pouncing on a loose ball inside the box to convert the opener and then leading a counter-attack to deliver the cross which resulted in Kevin Rodrigues’s own goal.

    Mayoral later came close to another goal in the second half, having a shot saved and finding the side-netting from the rebound, and in general play he showed an impressive smoothness of touch throughout the game.

    After that kind of display Zidane will have a lot more confidence when he needs to throw Mayoral into the fray again, and the youngster should also gain a great deal of self-belief that he truly belongs at this level.

    Borja Mayoral

    Borja Mayoral

    BALE BOUNCES BACK

    One of the major talking points in the opening weeks of the new season has been the poor form of Gareth Bale, who was particularly disappointing in the back to back home draws against Valencia and Levante.

    The Welshman’s inconsistency led to stern criticism from some fans and sections of the media, and he headed into Sunday’s game under even heavier pressure to produce considering the absence of fellow frontmen Benzema and Ronaldo.

    Although Mayoral will attract the headlines, Bale also contributed significantly towards the victory. Starting in his old position on the right-hand side of a front three, he showed good defensive discipline to help limit the home team’s attacking threat.

    And then with an hour played, he showcased his true talents with a lung-busting burst to run onto Isco’s long pass – easily outpacing home defender Kevin Rodrigues – and lifting a superb dink over onrushing goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to give his team a 3-1 lead.

    Bale’s attacking contribution was otherwise fairly limited, but that goal alone should be enough to convince the many doubters that he still has plenty to offer at Real Madrid.

    Gareth Bale

    Gareth Bale

    LA REAL LACK CONFIDENCE TO COMPETE WITH THE ELITE?

    Considering their outstanding start to the season and the plethora of absentees affecting the visitors, you might have thought there could be no better time for Real Sociedad to welcome Real Madrid to the Anoeta.

    So it was strange to see Eusebio Sacristan’s team make such a passive start to the match, sitting back and allowing Los Blancos to dictate the pace and feel their way into the game rather than attempting to pile on the pressure.

    Maybe history had a hand in their tentative approach: the Basque club had lost their last five games against Madrid, and won only one of their previous 20 meetings. Or maybe the visitors, with Isco, Luka Modric and Marco Asensio pulling the strings, were just too good and the home team couldn’t get near enough to the ball to dominate possession.

    Either way, the confident start of Zidane’s men helped to set the tone for the action that followed, and they eventually went on to claim a deserved and very much needed victory.

    Real Sociedad

    Real Sociedad

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