203 goals in 203 games for Cristiano Ronaldo; one goal in one game for Gareth Bale. That was the return from the £85million man’s goal-scoring debut against Villarreal tonight.
And thanks to his first half strike and Ronaldo’s second-half goal, Real Madrid picked up a point in El Madrigal.
It wasn’t quite Beckham after three minutes but Bale’s first goal for Real Madrid came just 38 minutes into his debut. He was so pleased he almost forget the trademark love-heart goal celebration as he was mobbed by relieved team-mates.
Real Madrid were strangers in the night under the lights of the Madrigal playing with two debutants and a fourth choice left-back and struggling to find each other.
But with his side chasing the game after conceding on 20 minutes to a goal from Cani, Bale forced Madrid back into the match. He drifted into a central position and muscled his way to the edge of the six-yard box to stab a Dani Carvajal cross past Sergio Asenjo in the home team’s goal.
It had been Luka Modric who played Carvajal in down the right. Modric and Bale’s combinations provided rare moments of clarity in a chaotic first half.
The new man will have wondered if he had really joined the biggest spending club in the first 45 minutes as he chased wild over-hit passes and spent much of the first period tracking back to help Madrid defend their goal.
From his first assured touch inside to Isco inside the first minute it was a confident display from Bale as he lined-up on the right hand-side of Madrid’s attack.
His first chance to take a Real Madrid free-kick came on 15 minutes. He shuffled across to the dead ball five yards from the edge of the area... and watched as Ronaldo took the kick and blasted it over Asenjo’s bar.
His first chance to steam past free-transfer full-back Jaume Costa came shortly afterwards but he played safe and spared the inexperienced defender.
Madrid were having their own inexperienced-defender troubles.
There had been talk of Bale starting at left-back in midweek because Real were without their three first choice left-backs. And Villarreal were having Madrid for dinner with Nacho on the side in the first half an hour.
Time again Villarreal carved Madrid open down the flank being defended by the youngster. The only surprise when their goal came was that it did not involve him.
Debutant Assier Illaramendi, sat in front of the back four for Madrid, failed to prevent Bruno threading a ball through to Jonahtan Pereira.
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