REAL MADRID may have caught rivals Barcelona napping in LaLiga’s thrilling title race – but it’s Gareth Bale who has been enjoying a siesta.
The out-of-favour Welshman jokingly put his coronavirus facemask over his eyes and started pretending to nap during Real’s 2-0 win over Alaves.
Gareth Bale joked he was catching 40 winks on the Real Madrid touchlineCredit: https://www.instagram.com/marca/
Bale watched on as Real Madrid beat Alaves 2-0 in LaLigaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
It was not the only time Bale cracked a laugh though, with the Wales star appearing to find it funny Brahim Diaz was used as the fifth sub instead of him.
Los Blancos recorded their eighth straight win on the bounce in Spain’s top division and maintained their title charge with a four-point gap over Barcelona.
And Bale, 30, has had just 100 minutes of football out of a possible 720 in the last eight games, with Zinedine Zidane preferring to use Marco Asensio on the left.
Real have been impressive in their winning run though, playing with freedom and fearlessness, while Karim Benzema has been playing the best football of his Bernabeu career.
The Spanish media have been quick to parody Bale’s “golfer” persona and continued to use the quip as an opportunity to apparently mock him.
The £350,000-a-week star does not seem to care what they think though, with potentially only a handful of games left in his seven-year stay in the Spanish capital.
Zidane had to experiment in defence with Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal serving suspensions and Marcelo and Nacho Fernandez injured.
While the left side was held down by the experienced Raphael Varane and sometimes starter Ferland Mendy, the right side went to Eder Militao in just his ninth league start of the campaign and Lucas Vezquez, a forward.
Karim Benzema’s early penalty gave Real Madrid the lead against AlavesCredit: AP:Associated Press
Bale has not played since June 24 against MallorcaCredit: Reuters
The new-look defence kept a fifth clean sheet in a row for Madrid.
Madrid will finish the season with matches against Granada, Villarreal, and Leganes.
Barcelona has games against Valladolid, Osasuna, and Alaves before the competition concludes on July 19.
Madrid holds the tiebreaker on head-to-head goals if they finish level on points.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
