Gareth Bale made a goal scoring return from an ankle injury as he scored Real Madrid’s second in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Morata’s goal put Real Madrid on top and they found themselves in an utterly dominant position, though they left it late to kill of Espanyol – despite 13 corners being awarded their way – when Bale picked up Isco’s pass on the left and fired home to confirm the three points.
The win saw Real Madrid move to within four points of Barcelona – only for Messi and co to grab a last gasp victory at home to Leganes which narrowed the gap back to a point – with Real Madrid still holding two games in hand over their El Clasico rivals.
Welsh superstar has been out of action since undergoing surgery on an ankle tendon problem in November. News of Bale’s return will also have spread across the Wales camp ahead of next months vital World Cup Qualifier against Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Chris Coleman’s men are third in Group D, four points behind the Irish, who lead the group after 4 games. The return of Gareth Bale will be a much needed boost to Coleman as the whole nation is in dire need of a positive result when they head to Dublin in March.
Nonetheless, as the title race hots up in La Liga with Real Madrid still leading the way, one point ahead of Barcelona who have intensified the pressure on Zidane and his players. But with 2 games in hand for Madrid – a chance to further stake their claim for a first La Liga title since 2012 – they can move to within 7 points of their direct rivals.
The return of Gareth Bale would be a welcome sight for Zinedine Zidane and his men as they search for their supremacy in Spain’s top division since they won the title back in 2012 – an awfully long time especially for a club of Madrid’s stature and the return of Gareth Bale could just be the icing on the cake for Madrid as he closes in on a return to top fitness and form.
Certainly, Bale hasn’t been sorely missed by his team-mates as the continue the chase for the La Liga title with Lucas Vazquez, Isco and James Rodriguez proving suitable replacements since the Welshman’s absence – showing the strength in depth Zinedine Zidane has available to him in comparison to title rivals Barcelona who rely so heavily on the work of the glamorous trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez. With Barcelona in a sort of free-fall after their demolition at the hands of PSG in the Champions League last week, Real Madrid would want to capitalise on their games in hand and steal a march over Luis Enrique’s men.
Nevertheless, Gareth Bale’s trademark finish from Isco’s intuitive pass showed no signs of rust or lack of match fitness, as he raced towards goal before he left footed shot travelled across Diego Lopez and into the far corner – a goal Zinedine Zidane would want to see more of as the race for the La Liga title intensifies.
Certainly, Real Madrid can be delighted with the competition for places at their disposal. James Rodriguez, Vazquez and Isco all have the ability to accommodate Gareth Bale on the flanks for Real Madrid, but Zidane is more than likely to restore Gareth Bale to the starting XI which is not only a welcome sight for the French coach, but for strike partners Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema who will be drooling at the added impetus in attack.
Gareth Bale was already becoming Real Madrid’s most important player before his injury, and by the end of the season that fact could be seen clearly if Real Madrid recapture the La Liga title that has been beyond them for nearly 5 years. Cristiano Ronaldo is finally accepting the limits of his body – hence his adaptation to the no.9 role alongside Karim Benzema -Ronaldo has become generous in his game, we have seen him helping and assisting others rather than going for goal himself which will help Gareth Bale’s return to full fitness.
The rotation worked again for Zinedine Zidane and the team is clearly responding to the targets this season. The Champions League is a major pursuit, but above everything else, the La Liga title is their main priority this season. The return of Gareth Bale will be massively vital to any of those aspirations.
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