Main man to second fiddle:How the £86m star is adapting to Real Madrid

As Tottenham struggle to score goals this season, the man they sold this summer has at last kick-started his career in the Spanish capital. Gareth Bale has found a home on the right of Carlo Ancelotti’s front three in a 4-3-3 formation during Real Madrid’s last four matches, and he has played his part in what has the look of Europe’s most dangerous front three at the moment.

Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the acronym for the trio has already been formed: BBC. It’s not original, nor is it good, but it is a sign that a partnership is as last developing between los Blancos’ forwards.

Since their defeat at Camp Nou – the first time the three were played as the attacking triumvirate of a 4-3-3 – Madrid have won three league games and drawn against Juventus in the Champions League. In those matches they have scored 17 goals, eight of which Bale has been directly involved in. The same Bale who was hastily written off in some quarters after el Clasico.

He has scored three goals from 11 shots in those four matches, but it is the Welshman’s five assists which have caught the eye. Considering he only set up one Premier League goal across the whole of the 2012/13 campaign, to set up five in a run of four matches is quite the turn around – does it say more about him, his changing of role or Spurs though?

Bale actually has more assists than key passes for Real Madrid

The answer is probably a mixture of the second two options.

Bale isn’t restricted to a wide right role at the Bernabeu, but his freedom is limited from that which he enjoyed in London last season. A number of his assists have come from right footed crosses following bursts of pace down the wing – against Rayo Vallecano he reduced full-back Anaitz Arbilla to tears after creating a goal.

Of course he benefits also from having the likes of Ronaldo and Benzema to provide for. As is being seen at Spurs this season, without Bale they’re struggling to score goals – they have scored just nine goals in the league, one more than the eight their former star has played a part in his last four appearances, admittedly in different circumstances.

The feeling in the Spanish press though is that there is much more to come from Bale. Injuries and a lack of match fitness hampered his start to life at Madrid, but everything suggests that he is getting better and better with each game.

Bale agrees. “The best is yet to come,” he told Real Madrid TV this week. “I have effectively just finished my pre-season and I can still give more.”

It even looks like him and Ronaldo are enjoying being on the same team, despite the battle for the limelight some suggested. “It’s a pleasure to play with him, he’s amazing, scoring hat-tricks every week,” he added of his Portuguese colleague.

One worry is Madrid’s front three don’t do enough defending, breaking the team in half effectively, but if Bale can contribute to eight goals every four matches – throw in Ronaldo’s superhuman contribution into the mix and defending may not be too much of a concern.