Gareth Bale will be aiming to win his first trophy in Spain tonight, as Real Madrid face FC Barcelona in the Kings Cup Final in Valencia.
Bale, who has been in great form over recent weeks and months, ever since signing from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer for £85 million, and will be hoping to cap off a good first season in Spain with a Cup win.
The winger, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions this year has somewhat come on in recent months, with the Welsh winger now a real crowd favourite after a tough start at the club.
Bale has also proved his doubters wrong in the last few moths or so, having impressed at the Santiago Benabeu, after a difficult start to life at Madrid, with Bale unable to have a proper pre-season, and niggling injuries which stalled his development.
The Final against Barcelona, which will be Bale’s third Clasico is sure to be a thriller, however, Ancelotti will be hoping Bale can deliver in the game due to the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be involved within the fixture, as the Portuguese captain has been forced out of the Final showpiece due to a hamstring injury.
The absence of Ronaldo will be a blow for Madrid, however in Bale they have a player who is more than capable of stepping up to the plate in big games, with the winger previously scoring 21 goals for Tottenham Hotspur last season.
Bale, aged 24 must fill the large void left by Ronaldo, who may be out for some weeks yet.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti stated.
“Cristiano is not available because we don’t want to take risks and we have other very important games to come this season.”
However the Italian said that Bale, and the rest of the squad can cope without Ronaldo.
“We are going to lose a player with an incredible quality, but his absence has provided motivation for the team to run more and play more as a team,” added Ancelotti.
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1
