Gareth Bale defends his performances for Real Madrid after Champions League exit

Gareth Bale has defended his performances for Real Madrid this season

It is no secret that Gareth Bale has had a disappointing season, compared to the high of his first year in Spain. Adding further insult to injury was his performance in the 1-1 draw against Juventus, when he could not take advantage of his chances.

The 25-year-old Welshman’s performance, in particular, was singled out as one of the reasons for the defending champions crashing out at the semi-final stage. With the knives out and constantly being sharpened by the media, Bale was quick to defend his role in the side.

I will work on my finishing for next year: Bale

Speaking after the game, Bale was quoted as saying, "There have been some ups and downs, but personally I think I've played well. I've maybe not scored as many important chances as I'd like, but my general play has been good. My finishing is not as good and that's something to work on for next year. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger and I'll learn from this season and take it on."

When asked about his missed chances, he said, “I was unlucky not to grab one. As long as I keep trying, usually one goes in. Unfortunately, it didn't happen tonight and you move on.I got a slight touch (in the back) and I couldn't get over the ball. It's one of those things that happen in football and you move on."

"We wanted to be in the Champions League final, we gave ourselves a chance of winning but it's not to be and we go again next year. I think we always try to score as many as we can. It wasn't meant to be tonight, but we played a good game. It's obviously disappointing and not what we wanted but we've still got a chance to win the league and we'll keep fighting until it's mathematically impossible. “