Reuters
Madrid, March 16: Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale answered his critics in emphatic style when he ended a nine-game goal drought with a double for the European champions in a 2-0 La Liga victory against Levante at the Bernabeu here Sunday.
The world record signing, whistled by his own team’s fans during Real’s recent poor run, struck twice in the first half and came close to completing his hat-trick midway through the second period to leave Real a point behind leaders Barcelona.
They failed to add to their tally against the struggling Valencia-based side, however, and question marks remain over their form following a 3-4 reverse at home to Schalke in their Champions League last 16, second leg in midweek.
Real now head to Barca for next weekend’s ‘Clasico’ at the Nou Camp in second place behind their arch rivals who are on top of the La Liga league table with 65 points and 11 games left.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti made several changes to the team that lost to Schalke. The Italian left Germany midfielder Toni Kroos on the bench and replaced keeper and captain Iker Casillas with Keylor Navas, while centre-back Sergio Ramos returned from injury.
Clearly anxious to make amends for Tuesday’s poor showing against the Germans, Real started strongly and Cristiano Ronaldo poked a close-range shot against a post in the fifth minute.
Bale seemed especially fired up and broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when he volleyed in after an acrobatic Ronaldo effort had been cleared off the line.
The Welshman placed his hands over his ears, perhaps a reference to his treatment from the home fans, and ran to the corner before angrily karate-kicking
the flag.
Bale got a somewhat fortuitous second goal five minutes before half time when he stuck out a leg and deflected Ronaldo’s low shot into the corner.
Karim Benzema sent a spectacular volley against the corner of the goal frame in the 64th and Bale was brilliantly denied by Levante keeper Diego Marino in a one-on-one six minutes later.
“Three points, no goals conceded and now we will go after Barca,” Real full back Dani Carvajal said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster ‘Canal Plus’. “We haven’t had a good month but we have our fate in our own hands to win the league and we are in the Champions League quarterfinals, which not many teams can say,” added the Spain international.
