Three ways Real Madrid could line up with Gareth Bale as Welshman returns from injury

Aditya Devavrat 21:43 29/11/2017
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  • Gareth Bale made his latest return from injury on Tuesday night, coming on for Real Madrid in their 2-2 draw against Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey. It’s been a long, well-documented struggle for the 28-year-old, whose injury troubles have now put him at risk of being the name at the top of the list whenever player sales are discussed at the club.

    By all accounts, however, Bale has no intention of leaving Madrid without a fight, and still believes that he can make it at one of the biggest clubs in the world. There’s no denying his talent, and he’s shown it on occasion for Madrid in between all the injuries.

    Here are three ways Real Madrid could line up with Bale in their side.

    4-4-2

    Madrid’s formation in recent weeks has loosely been a 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid, largely because of Isco‘s freedom to roam in attack. What is constant is the three-man midfield of Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos, and the two-pronged attack of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

    In this formation, Bale could either take Isco’s role, or partner Ronaldo – the assumption being that while Benzema might be considered untouchable, Ronaldo is definitely that. Plus, the Bale-Ronaldo relationship remains the most important dynamic when it comes to the Welshman’s role at the club.

    There’s previously been speculation regarding a rift between the two, and Ronaldo seems to have benefitted from the players who have stepped up in Bale’s absence. Playing alongside the Portuguese could be the best way to salvage Bale’s Madrid career.

    The Bale-Ronaldo relationship is crucial to the Welshman's Madrid career.

    The Bale-Ronaldo relationship is crucial to the Welshman’s Madrid career.

    3-5-2

    Zinedine Zidane has a tendency to switch to three at the back to make the most of the many attacking players at his disposal. It’s a tactic he often adopts when Madrid are chasing a game, and usually, it’s one of the moves that draws criticism from the media – the complaint being that there is no method involved other than having as many attacking players on the pitch as possible.

    But Pep Guardiola has occasionally played Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane as wingbacks at Manchester City, with much the same purpose. If it can work there, why not at Madrid? And Bale actually has experience of playing both as a winger and as a full-back so a wing-back role might suit him. He could play as an inverted wing-back, drift towards the centre when necessary, and offer pace on either side for the midfield to exploit.

    Gareth Bale could be flying down the wings again.

    Gareth Bale could be flying down the wings again.

    4-3-3

    The other option for Zidane is to go back to the basics. Madrid played a 4-3-3 for so long, and even now, although Ronaldo and Benzema is clearly pushed furthest forward in a formation that has two up top, with Isco’s floating role and Ronaldo’s license to come deep it is at times a 4-3-3 anyway.

    Of course, using this formation would again mean dropping either Isco or Benzema – which, at the moment, is Bale’s problem, no matter what formation Madrid adopt. His injuries have allowed Isco to jump above him in the pecking order, and Benzema is considered undroppable for the way in which he sacrifices himself in order to maximise Ronaldo’s output.

    The truth is, while Zidane and Madrid have plenty of options as they go about reintegrating Bale into their squad, right now, when it comes to the starting XI, Welshman is always going to be on the outside looking in barring an excellent run of form.

    Time for a return of the BBC?

    Time for a return of the BBC?

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