#3 Is Gareth Bale the outsider in BBC?
Much has been said about the prolific yet not-so-hard-working trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano in recent weeks. The triumvirate have been criticized for their defending, or the lack thereof, but Zidane has still decided to persist with them.
While Benzema and Ronaldo combined to create the first goal and also threatened every now and then, Bale cut a peripheral figure for most of the game. Cristiano Ronaldo has assisted the Frenchman on 19 occasions – more than any other player in the Real Madrid team – but the same cannot be said about the combination of Bale and Benzema or Bale and Ronaldo.
The Welshman’s work rate was also questionable during the win as he marked his return to the side with an anonymous performance. Going by current form and keeping the best interests of the team at heart, Zidane should opt to bench Bale and start one of Lucas Vasquez, James Rodriguez or Sergio Asensio in his place.
