Gareth Bale is cup final specialist after latest stunning haul for Real Madrid

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Before heads hit pillows last night, Gareth Bale’s bicycle kick would have been spinning on a continuous loop in every football fan’s mind.

    The Welsh wizard issued an emphatic come-and-get-me plea after a two-goal display in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final.

    Bale’s first, one of the great European goals, was absurd in its thought and execution, but scoring crucial goals in cup finals has hallmarked his Los Blancos career.

    Indeed, the 28-year-old cemented his legacy as British football’s finest export by scoring in a fourth major cup final win.

    Below is a look at all five goals he’s scored in winning finales.

    2013/14 Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

    The goal, which before Saturday’s strike, had come to define his career. It was quintessentially Bale in its raw athleticism, a dizzying blend of power, pace and precision.

    His 50m gallop to win the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona was the most important in his career at the time but it was also one of his most jaw-dropping.

    The Welshman’s first touch was on the half-way line as he pushed the ball past Marc Bartra but despite being bumped off the pitch, he accelerated in a long arc to reappear ahead of the defender.

    He tore into Barca’s box and then jabbed the ball through Jose Pinto’s legs, racing away in celebration as if unable to stop his blistering momentum.

    2013/14 Champions League final, Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid

    For all the savagery of his Copa del Rey final finish, a simple nod of the head was enough for another significant strike.

    Atletico Madrid were minutes away from a glorious Champions League triumph but after a Sergio Ramos header secured extra time, Bale broke their hearts to make it 2-1.

    He actually missed a hat-trick of chances earlier in the clash but as Angel Di Maria surged and slalomed on the left, running between an exhausted Juanfran and Miranda, the Argentine’s deflected flick off Thibaut Courtois looped to the far post.

    Bale jumped first and leapt high, calculating the spin perfectly to squeeze his header inside the post.

    2014 Club World Cup final, Real Madrid 2-0 San Lorenzo

    To all but English football, the Club World Cup carries great continental significance and so Bale’s finish to seal a first victory for Los Blancos in the format deserves mention alongside his other exploits.

    The goal itself is the weakest of his five. Toni Kroos tapped it to Isco on his right shoulder and he slipped the ball into Bale’s path as the winger drove into the box.

    His first touch to collect the ball was sweet and although his swivelled left-foot strike wasn’t clean, the ball squeezed under a pretty pathetic dive from San Lorenzo stopper Sebastinn Torrico for Madrid’s second.

    2017/18 Champions League final, Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

    Two goals, both equally absurd but for completely contrasting reasons. His first, just minutes after climbing off the bench is a thing of beauty.

    Football in its raw element is an art form and Bale’s left-foot paintbrush produced a masterpiece as he lifted himself into the Kiev atmosphere.

    The thought process to even attempt the overhead was as impressive as the execution. The cross from Marcelo seemed well out of his reach, too fast, too high and too far behind him to be manipulated back towards goal.

    But the image of Bale hanging in the air, ball gripped to the sweet spot of his left foot will decorate his career.

    In equal measure, the second will linger over Loris Karius for a long time. Emboldened by his opener, Bale smacked a long-range drive which while it dipped and swayed in the air, should have been a simple grasp for the Liverpool stopper. It slipped through his hands and Bale had his fifth final goal.

    Recommended