La Liga 2017/18: Real Madrid 1-1 Levante, 5 Talking Points

#2 Gareth Bale's redemption seems unlikely

Gareth Bale may be hounded out of Madrid

Football is a game of inches. Destinies of players and indeed clubs often come down to the vagaries of the wind blowing the ball off-course.

When Gareth Bale towered above his marker in the 87th minute, it looked for all the world that his Real Madrid career was set to spark to life yet again. It was the perfect chance, no Ronaldo, no Benzema with Asensio having a quiet game, and Bale could have rescued all three points at the hugely demanding Bernabeu.

As it turned out, Bale's header was inches wide, and his Madrid career continues to be in the doldrums. With Asensio's star on the rise and Ronaldo only a game away from returning, time's running out for Bale, and perhaps we may see him make a move in January.

However, his manager believes in him, if not his own crowd:

"No player’s happy when they’re whistled, but I see him well mentally. I don’t see him as badly as people are saying. He’s a very important player and he’ll do well."