Statistically, the Manchester United linked Welshman was again disappointing against Juventus, and Carragher suggested the reason.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was again critical of Gareth Bale as the Real Madrid winger failed to help his side through to the Champions League final on Wednesday night.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher stated that former Spurs star Bale, who has been linked with a return to the UK with Manchester United by the Manchester Evening News, would be expected to make the difference in games like this given the stature of Real and the fee they paid to bring the 25-year-old to Spain.
“The expectations at this club when you’ve signed for a world-record fee is that you’ve got to produce a moment of magic in games like this,” he said.
“Watching Bale, he was passive. We’ve all been there when your confidence isn’t there, but the way to change that – he’s got pace and power – is to chase the ball down, lift the crowd. He was jogging round and not demanding the ball.
“If he’s getting criticism at Real Madrid, it’s not about his ability, it might be about his character – having that arrogance to demand the ball and get on it.”
But how was his performance statistically?
| Position | Team | Total Scoring Att | Ontarget Scoring Att | Total Att Assist | Big Chance Missed | Ground Duel Won | Successful Take On | Touches | Accurate Pass | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gareth Bale | FW | Real | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 27 | 1 | 90 |
Having had a disappointing first half where he failed to get on the ball, the Welshman stepped it up in the second half of the game, and he was much more involved, something that is reflected in his total touches on the ball.
Bale had seven shots at goal during the match, the second highest in the Champions League this season, but he will be conscious that he only hit the target with one of those attempts.
A bigger concern was the fact that he missed two big chances on the night, with his back post header a particularly decent opportunity.
And the winger failed to dribble past any Juventus player over the course of the match, as well as completing a fairly meagre 27 passes.
It is clear that although his performance wasn’t as disappointing as in Turin last week, things still aren’t going well for the former Premier League star.
We’ll see if he takes on board Carragher’s advice in Real’s next game against Espanyol on Sunday.
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