If this wasn’t Gareth Bale at 100 per cent, imagine what he’ll be like in a few weeks as, with Cristiano Ronaldo injured, the Welshman took centre stage for Real Madrid at Anoeta on Sunday night.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane admitted a delayed pre-season by virtue of Bale’s participation at Euro 2016 means he’s behind many of his team-mates in terms of condition. But the 27-year-old was off to a flying start with a goal inside the first two minutes and then added his second in injury team.
In between there was a first Madrid strike for young winger Marco Asensio who delivered an enourmously encouraging performance.
Zidane said: “I’m happy for Bale, because physically he is behind the others but you couldn’t tell. He started in the best way, scoring early. This is a hard place to be if you don’t take your chances. This is an important year for him and he’s showing it. “
Asensio? I had to decide and he started and he did well. So did Isco and James Rodriguez. My head hurts picking the team.
“We got three important points in a difficult ground. He’s working well. He’s got quality, talent. He’s able to break the lines and his goal was impressive.”
1 - Gareth Bale has scored his fastest goal for @realmadriden (1 minute and 12 seconds, all competitions). Express. pic.twitter.com/xIDaHmaFAy
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 21, 2016
Zidane had a number of first-team regulars missing with Ronaldo still not fully recovered from the knee ligament injury he suffered playing for Portugal in the Euro 2016 final.
Luka Modric was suspended, goalkeeper Keylor Navas was injured and Zidane was also without French forward Karim Benzema, who has a hip problem. Bale, therefore, was the only member of the feared ‘BBC’ strikeforce to feature and he gave Real the perfect start as his powerful header from Dani Carvajal’s cross gave Geronimo Rulli no chance.
The Anoeta crowd applauded warmly in tribute to former Real Sociedad striker Dalian Atkinson in the ninth minute. The Englishman, who most commonly wore the number nine shirt in his one season at Anoeta in 1990-91, died last Monday after being tasered by police in his home town of Telford.
Madrid made a purposeful start and Rulli had to get down well to push a side-footed shot from Toni Kroos wide after Alvaro Morata – on his second La Liga debut for Real – cut the ball back into his path in the 20th minute.
They looked solid defensively too and on the one occasion their concentration lapsed, former Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi opted to square the ball rather than shoot after a wonderful through-ball from David Concha.
Morata seemed determined to mark his Madrid return from Juventus with a goal and after evading two challenges, drilled in a shot which Rulli blocked at his near post.
Madrid’s second arrived five minutes before the break after a long ball forward caused confusion in the home defence, with Asensio afforded the time to coolly lift the ball over the onrushing Rulli. It was commendable composure for the 20-year-old.
Real went close to a third before the interval, but Casemiro headed over from close range after meeting Marcelo’s cross from the left. The hosts claimed a penalty early in the second period when Markel Bergara went down under challenge from Carvajal, but he arguably should have tried harder to make telling contact as the ball came to him from the right.
Kroos crashed a left-foot volley against the crossbar 10 minutes into the second period after Rulli’s block on a Morata shot. Rulli then then made an excellent save to tip wide a sweetly-struck piledriver from Mateo Kovacic.
Marcelo chased back well to block after Mikel Oyarzabal appeared to have got away from him and the visitors then survived a penalty appeal when Casemiro fell and handled the ball in the area.
The game ended in unseemly fashion as Ramos needlessly reacted to an aerial challenge by Yuri Berchiche on Bale, who landed awkwardly but was fine to return, and even had time to add his second and Madrid’s third.
