Two finals, two crucial goals, two trophies - that pretty much sums up Gareth Bale's first season at Real Madrid. The Welshman definitely rises to big occasions: two flashes of brilliance, two stunning strikes and the Copa del Rey and Champions League are his.
Bale's ×love affair with finals started at the Mestalla, in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona. With only five minutes to go and stamina on the wane, it seemed Barça's equaliser would inevitably force the match into extra time.
Nobody expected anyone would have the legs left to pull something special out of a hat, but Bale set off on one of his customary rampaging forays, actually exiting the pitch before gliding past Bartra and beating Pinto to the delight of the Real fans. The club's 19th cup triumph was his prize.
If his performance at the Mestalla hadn't been enough to make Bale a hero in the eyes of the adoring fans, what he did next would seal his reputation forever. Ramos's now legendary late equaliser dragged the Champions League final into extra time, but that wouldn't necessarily have amounted to anything had Bale not opened the floodgates to victory. The Welshman headed the ball home after Courtois's desperate save from Di María's brilliant run and strike to turn the tide in Real's favour and conquer the 'Décima'.
On Tuesday Bale is set to play in his third big final for Real and he wants to make it a hat-trick with another decisive goal.

Prince of Wales returns home :

Gareth Bale is set to play his first game in Cardiff as a Real Madrid player this Tuesday, having sealed his return home in the Champions League final on 24th May in Lisbon. "When I heard that the European Super Cup was being played in Cardiff, I thought we'd win the Champions League".
That game was won thanks to a Gareth Bale goal against Atlético - after Ramos' late pinpoint header had levelled the game - which put 'Los Blancos' 2-1 up in extra time. Bale showed, amongst other things, during his first season at the club that he is very good at taking his chances. He popped up during Real's two most important games of the year to show that he truly is a big-game player.
His next big game is in his hometown of Cardiff, a city where he is considered a bigger local hero than those who play Wales' most popular sport, rugby, which Gareth excelled in as a lad, as well as athletics. He was extremely FITand sporty, but above all else he excelled in football, where his left foot caught people's eye from an early age, to the point that his school P.E. teacher, Gwyn Morris used to make him play with his right foot to give his classmates a chance.

From Marca English version.

After a dificult adaptation, the Welshman was present in the 2 biggest games of the year for Madrid scoring the winning goals, thats for me better than any stats in easier games, those 2 goals only can hide all the dificult moments he had and push him on the top of Madrid performers in 2014.

Being a Madrid player makes it easier to win titles and be in the spotlight, but still you need to score the few occasions you will have in those important games and the Welshman was the man of the situation.

Respect from a Barça diehard fan, only Messi won CL in the first year he was involved in, and this can show that Carlo must play arround Bale in big games and dont let some players ego ruin the important meetings of the whole squad.

he was good at tots but became better when reaches madrid. he will be a monster in a few years under carlo. GG

He was crucial yes!!! when Carlo puts all the brick together, and with the players he has at his disposal, every one in Real would be a monster, at least on paper.

Bale will be even more insane next season.

bale was quite good but he has copied ronaldo's greedy style of play.

anyway have you become a bale lover.

^ Ronaldo's greedy style of play? Neither of them are greedy. And although Bale does not register as many key passes or assists as Ronaldo, he is just as important to the build up of the play.

^he is greedy and everyone knows ronaldo is greedy. have you ever senn messi play like either of them?
i havent.

^ Dude, stop comparing Ronaldo and Messi. Do you see Ronaldo dribbling in and out in to the box and scoring ? No. Do you see Messi banging in goals from 40 yards out? No. They are different players with different play styles.

^alright then.

Lmao Liomessi10, stop ruining the reputation of Barcelona fans. It's so childish to make comments like "Bale and Ronaldo are greedy".

You want to compare Ronaldo and Messi? Fine, here's something for you. Ronaldo and Messi played almost the exact same number of games last season, and Ronaldo had more assists than Messi. OMG MESSI SO GREEDY.

I just love Tikis posts so exciting to read every time and not because this is about Bale. I wish other people would enjoy the read and not ruin it with stupid comments.

Thanks mate :)
Mais je supporterai Seville ce soir, tu dois bien t' en douter :).

Haha such a hater :P Hala Madrid! ( i used google translate as i do not speak french YET!)

Apprends vite! C'est la langue d'amour. :)

Dont get me wrong, Ronaldo is the best player of Real Madrid at the moment, others should work very hard to hope one day being his equal, but i cant see someone working harder than him, despite his gimmics and his odd celebrations, he forced the respect even for his haters.

A real Champion, nice to see Bale in his squad so the stupid debates about Bale being his equal has suddently disappeared, like other stupid debates we had about the incredible amount of goals he scored, his CL 17 goals and Suarez scoring +30 in PL despite his suspension killed all the biased speculations about him and Messi.

Lukaku better than Costa ? Oh Lol, why were we arguing with stupid biased people, now those claims disapeared with their creator, someone who prefers to disapears rather than admit his wrongs and stay here as a fellow user.
There is no shame to be wrong once or twice, but it is much easier to admit it and move on rather than come from time to time getting destroyed by actual facts and results and disappear.

There is a place for everyone here...

@Dynst Je pense qu'avec google je vais faire tout aussi bien: P

@ Tiki Spot on even though i have no clue who you mean by that :P

Congrats to us for wining but i feel that Seville were very poor from what i expected them to be.

^ Long story, only old members know what im talking about.
The forum used to be biased imo, and many things happened until we are finally having healthy discussions and different opinions...

@dynastian ronaldo played more games than messi. messi was out because of injuries.

edit: counting only la liga games messi made more assists than ronaldo.

assists

Angel Di Maria
17

Carlos Vela
12

Gareth Bale
12

Lionel Messi
12

Cesc Fabregas
12

Markel Susaeta Laskurain
11

Koke
11

Alexis Sanchez
10

Ivan Rakitic
10

Karim Benzema
9

@Liomessi10

Lol, I hate it when 10 year old occupy the forum.

i'm 12, not 10