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Real Madrid kept their league title push alive with a narrow 1-0 win over Real Sociedad at the daunting Anoeta as Gareth Bale struck a late header to send the visitors provisionally at the summit of the table.
Without several of their key players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema for the second straight domestic outing, an under-strength Los Blancos were once again left to do it all in their absence.
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Up until the 80th minute, it seemed a tough ask considering Real’s profligacy but they were eventually lifted out of the lurch when Bale rose high enough to head home a cross from Lucas Vazquez.
Here are some of the major talking points as the Whites remain hot on the heels of rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
1. Bale saves the day for Blancos yet again
For the second league game running, Gareth Bale started alone out of the stellar ‘BBC’ triumvirate and for the second league game running, struck the winner for Real Madrid.
The Welsh wizard struck twice last weekend to help Blancos come back from 2 goals down to win 3-2 against Rayo Vallecano, and today, struck deep in the second half to earn his side the crucial 3 points once again.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur man was guilty of wasting a few good chances including 3 headed opportunities earlier in the match, but made no mistake when Vazquez delivered an inviting cross from the right flank 10 minutes from time.
Gareth Bale has truly stepped up in the absence of Ronaldo and Benzema, and will be entrusted with the task again in the midweek against Manchester City in the Champions League, should the aforementioned attacking duo fail to return to fitness on time.
2. Real Sociedad put Real Madrid to the sword
La Real are always a tough nut to crack at the Anoeta, and nothing can add more substance to that than Barcelona’s 9-year winless run there. The Basques have a penchant for upping the ante during the visit of one of the league’s top-shouts and accentuated it further by keeping Zidane’s men at bay for large spells in the game.
Real Sociedad mostly fed off the scraps, but at the other end, kept things water-tight, forcing Real Madrid to walk the extra mile if they were to take anything from the match. Whilst the visitors managed to threaten from set-piece situations, Geronimo Rulli stood firm when Madrid threw caution to the wind in the final few minutes.
The hosts made their mighty visitors dig deep, but were only undone by the superior quality of Blancos.
3. James blows his chance
When opportunities are as rare as the sight of a Halley’s comet, you cannot afford to miss the ones that come your way. But it seems James Rodriguez is totally oblivious to it.
The Colombian international has regressed massively in his second season with Real Madrid, and in a rare start handed to him today, he disappointed.
Deployed on the left of the midfield phalanx, James struggled to impose himself and lacked the attacking flair to trouble the Sociedad defence. He was even entrusted with the free-kick and corner kick duties in the absence of Toni Kroos, but his efforts lacked any precision. He was ultimately put out of his misery in the 73rd minute when he was subbed off in favour of Isco.
Chances have been hard to come by for the former Monaco starlet this season despite a promising debut campaign last year, and there are wide speculations that the 23-year old might just consider a move away from the Spanish capital this summer.
4. Zidane clearly prioritises Champions League over La Liga
By now, it is clear that Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has put the premium on European glory over the domestic one. For the second time in a row, the French icon has opted to leave some of the first-team regulars on the bench, keeping one eye on the upcoming decider against Manchester City at home.
Substitutes such as Danilo, Rafael Varane, Nacho, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral were all handed a start, whereas Carvajal, Pepe, Marcelo and Kroos were left on the bench for the good.
Although the manager has overtly stated that La Liga and the Champions League bear equal importance to his side, his team selections in the last 2 league games suggest otherwise, though.
5. Real Madrid need to show more attacking verve
Real Madrid’s defence and the midfield have definitely improved in the past few weeks, but issues prop up further up the park in the absence of Ronaldo and Benzema despite a wealth of attacking riches in their ranks.
James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral all started in the attack, but they were more inclined towards Bale to bail them out. The attack largely seemed one-dimensional as the Welshman stemmed most of the visitor’s chances, and also netted the winner.
Although it still proved to be enough to get the job done, it certainly won’t against a team of the quality of Manchester City. To beat them sans the services of Ronaldo and Benzema, Real Madrid need to be more potent in the attack and show more flair, rather than just banking on Bale to do all the work.
