Real Madrid: Gareth Bale Steals The Show On His Full Home Debut

by Crip Cooke

World-record signing Gareth Bale finally put in a man-of-the-match display in his full home debut for Real Madrid. The 24-year old grabbed a brace and set up two goals to lead the Whites to victory against Sevilla - with Madrid running out 7-3 winners. After manager Carlo Ancelotti previously felt the Welsh international would initially struggle to adapt in Spain, his performance in midweek was the perfect response to silence any critics. Being the most expensive signing brings its own pressure, and Bale has been unfairly criticised on a number of occasions for his slow start to his Madrid career - most recently following a lacklustre display against fierce rivals Barcelona. However, after showcasing exactly what he was signed for this summer, Ancelotti now feels Gareth Bale can take La Liga by storm. With three goals and two assists from five league games, the forward has finally shown signs he was worth such outlay. The next step for last season's Premier League Player of the Year will be replicating such performances in the Champions League. He cited the European elite competition as a reason for initially joining Madrid this campaign, and he now has the chance to prove his world-class credentials on one of the biggest stages.

Contributor
Contributor

Crippy Cooke, 23, is a freelance Football Writer contributing to What Culture. He's had work featured on Zoo, MSN, London 24, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and was recently named Writer of the Year on FTBpro - while also a nominee for Best Male Blog in the Football Blogging Awards.