Thursday, June 19, 2025
1:55 PM
Doha,Qatar
*

Bale double puts Real Madrid five points clear at top

‘An easy game doesn’t exist and you saw that the first-half was difficult for us. Once you score a goal it is a different game and we controlled the match much more...’

Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid extended their La Liga lead to five points with a 3-0 win over Leganes yesterday.
Bale signed one of the most lucrative deals in football history on Monday to keep him at the European champions until 2021.
The Welshman earned his bumper new wage as he struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Alvaro Morata added a third 14 minutes from time.
“An easy game doesn’t exist and you saw that the first-half was difficult for us,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
“Once you score a goal it is a different game and we controlled the match much more in the second-half.”
Bale also scored Real’s fastest ever Champions League goal in midweek against Legia Warsaw, but his fine strike in the Polish capital was forgotten as Real blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3.
There was to no such comeback from La Liga newcomers Leganes on their first ever league visit to the Santiago Bernabeu after Bale had awoken Madrid from their slumber in the first 30 minutes.
Bale outsprinted the Leganes defence as he latched onto Isco’s through ball and rounded Jon Ander Serantes before slotting home from a narrow angle.
His second was a scrappier finish as Bale pounced on a loose ball inside the area from Toni Kroos’s free-kick to bundle home from close range.
Serantes prevented Bale completing his hat-trick twice within a minute at the start of the second period.
Bale’s decision to go alone with his first effort infuriated the off-colour Cristiano Ronaldo, who was waiting for the ball to be squared.
Spanish media reports yesterday suggest Ronaldo is on the verge of sealing his own mega contract extension at Madrid.
However, he endured another frustrating afternoon as he was kept scoreless for the fifth time in eight La Liga appearances this season.
The Portuguese has now gone five games without scoring at the Bernabeu — his longest drought since joining Real seven years ago.
He was also booked early on for taking his protests towards referee Miguel Mateu Lahoz too far.
“There is nothing wrong, he is not worried,” said Zidane about Ronaldo’s slump in form.
“He looks good, he is motivated, he likes to scores goals and even more so in this stadium, but he is calm.”
Real received a huge boost ahead of a hugely demanding two-month stretch after the upcoming international break as Luka Modric made his return as a second-half substitute after a month out due to knee surgery.
Morata rounded off a comfortable afternoon for Zidane’s men when he collected Kroos’s pass before firing home at the near post.
And Madrid even kept their first clean sheet in 11 matches as victory stretches their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 games.

Results
Real Madrid    3      Leganes              0
Espanyol        0      Athletic Bilbao     0
Celta Vigo       2      Valencia              1

Comments
  • There are no comments.

Add Comments

B1Details

Latest News

SPORT

Canada's youngsters set stage for new era

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.

1:43 PM February 26 2017
TECHNOLOGY

A payment plan for universal education

Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education

11:46 AM December 14 2016
CULTURE

10-man Lekhwiya leave it late to draw Rayyan 2-2

Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions

7:10 AM November 26 2016
ARABIA

Yemeni minister hopes 48-hour truce will be maintained

The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged

10:30 AM November 27 2016
ARABIA

QM initiative aims to educate society on arts and heritage

Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.

10:55 PM November 27 2016
ARABIA

Qatar, Indonesia to boost judicial ties

The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.

10:30 AM November 28 2016
ECONOMY

Sri Lanka eyes Qatar LNG to fuel power plants in ‘clean energy shift’

Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.

10:25 AM November 12 2016
B2Details
C7Details