Gareth Bale said Real Madrid are still adjusting to life under head coach Julen Lopetegui and called for improvements, while insisting that there were no problems in attack following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Madrid beat Roma 2-1 in the International Champions Cup on Tuesday, with Bale providing a superb assist for Marco Asensio’s opener before scoring one himself, continuing the Wales international’s impressive pre-season form.
Bale scored an eye-catching equaliser against Juventus in Madrid’s previous match but he said that settling into a new way of working under Lopetegui, who replaced Zinedine Zidane in the close season, has not been straightforward.
“It’s always difficult,” Bale told Real Madrid TV. “The new coach is here with his new ideas and we still have things to improve.It’s never easy to play with a new coach, but in attack we’re fine.We do what the coach wants, scoring goals, winning games.We want to start the new season.”
Midfielder Dani Ceballos said Lopetegui’s approach differed to that of Zidane, while agreeing with Bale’s assessment of the Madrid attack.
Ronaldo’s sensational €100million switch to Juventus prompted speculation that Madrid would move for a new forward but Ceballos said the talents of Bale, Karim Benzema and Asensio would compensate for the loss of the Portuguese.
“We are playing differently, with another type of passing and longer positions,” said Ceballos. “That is what the coach has asked of us from the first day.
“This Madrid has a goal, Bale is plugged in, Karim is there, and Marco.”He [Lopetegui] is not going to notice the absence of Cristiano.”
While the incandescent skill of Marco Asensio, Isco, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will continue to drive Los Blancos forward in 2018-19, Bale is emerging from beneath a cloud of injuries and mystery to show that he ought to be the one behind the wheel. The center-forward spot, currently kept warm by Karim Benzema, could be his. Either of the wing spots are available, too. It’s seemingly up to him as to what he wants to do.
Bale played a total of 149 minutes in Real’s three ICC matches, but two goals and one assist represented a tidy resumption of form for a player who made history in May’s Champions League final against Liverpool. Any thoughts as to his suitability for Real should have been put to rest beyond that point, but a strong preseason following a summer of rest have shown him continue that game-changing form. It speaks volumes of Bale’s endless potential, even at 29 years old, that 21 goals and six assists in 44 appearances for Real (all competitions) was somehow perceived as not good enough for the demands of the Bernabeu crowd. Perhaps it pales in comparison to Ronaldo’s output, but with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner out of the picture, one would expect Bale’s numbers to skyrocket.