A momentous day for Real Madrid and Gareth Bale saw a commanding 3-1 derby triumph earned at 10-man Atletico Madrid, with their Wales superstar moving into the hallowed 100-goal club in the process.
Bale, 29, came off the substitutes’ bench in the second half and soon got on the score sheet with a trademark low finish across Jan Oblak’s net. This laser-guided strike into the bottom corner moved him into three figures in 217th appearances.
Here’s a review of his consequential cameo at Wanda Metropolitano:
STATISTICS
Minutes played: 33
Goals: 1
Attempts: 2
Pass accuracy: 86.7%
Key passes: 0
Touches: 26
Dribbles: 1
Tackles: 1
30-SECOND REPORT
Real’s recent rise under Santiago Solari continued at a hostile Wanda.
Casemiro’s stunning scissor kick was levelled up before the half-hour mark when Antoine Griezmann beat the offside trap and shot through hate figure Thibaut Courtois’ legs.
But Los Blancos responded in style to earn a sixth-successive La Liga win. Sergio Ramos converted a penalty prior to the break.
In the second half, Bale made a telling impact and Thomas Partey was dismissed for two bookings.
Vamos! 💯 pic.twitter.com/I6JoQjJKeZ
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) February 9, 2019
GOOD
Memorable achievement: When Madrid paid Tottenham a world-record €100.8 million in September 2013, they expected a big return on their investment.
True, Bale has not represented the second-coming of Cristiano Ronaldo. But only 14 other players in this grand club’s 116-year history have reached 100 strikes.
When you consider 13 major honours, including four Champions League titles, then Bale can only be viewed as a success story.
BAD
Frustrated feelings: And still, a sense of ennui surrounds Bale at present.
This sharp conversion was just a sixth in 18 La Liga run-outs this term. He’s also been eased back from injury, starting just once in his last five matches.
A lack of conviction was present in both his celebration of a historic goal, and snatched header that followed.
With Madrid shining with Bale on the sidelines, his listlessness may continue.
💥📸 @GarethBale11! #RMDerbi | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/b1cqtIolzA
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 9, 2019
KEY MOMENTS
74th min GOAL: So many of Bale’s 100 goals looked like this. Ex-Tottenham team-mate Luka Modric played a perfect pass into the channel for the onrushing Bale, who looks up and finds the bottom corner. Perfection.
88th min CHANCE: Lucas Vazquez sends Karim Benzema free down the right. The French striker then picks out Bale with a cross, but his poor header flies over.
VERDICT
These are strange times for Bale at Madrid.
This fine goal moved him into the upper echelon of representatives from Europe’s true heavyweight. The startling recent emergence of Vinicius Junior and Real’s stellar run without him in the starting XI, however, has put him on the verge of irrelevancy.
Bale must now build up his match fitness, hope he avoids another enervating calf injury and explode in the season’s defining fixtures to come.
Rating: 7/10
