They ride again, said the front page of Marca, in the aftermath of Real Madrid’s 3-1 away win against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening. Except the ride, one that has taken los Blancos to 73 consecutive games without failing to score, hadn’t stopped; their horse just boasted different jockeys this time around.
With Karim Benzema on the treatment table and Cristiano Ronaldo suspended, Gareth Bale and Borja Mayoral both found the back of the net at Anoeta - a well-documented happy hunting ground for the Welshman. Alvaro Morata and Mariano Diaz were both sold in the summer, leaving Zinedine Zidane’s squad looking rather threadbare heading into the weekend, but as the pressure mounted Bale and Borja delivered.
They won’t be the new BBC - Ronaldo will make his long-awaited league return against Real Betis - but they provided what was necessary: a source of goals which needs to become a regular and reliable one throughout the course of a long campaign. Zidane showed during the 2016/2017 season that he is willing to reward good performances with further minutes, and Borja duly took note.
For perhaps the first time in the last calendar year, Real Madrid arrived in the Basque region with doubts and cracks in their confidence. Two consecutive home draws against Levante and Valencia had slowed their progress, with jeers and whistles following games in which that sense of the inevitable late winner had dissipated. Last campaign, mentality was one of the key factors in los Blancos’ success; the belief that they could rally again and pluck another goal out of thin air when it mattered most.
Their 3-1 win against La Real didn’t suggest they were back to the height of their powers, but rather reinforced the fact that selling some of the back-up options in the squad - James Rodriguez, Danilo, Morata and Mariano - was not a misstep. It also proved that the club were right to keep faith in Gareth Bale, despite his injury concerns, and that Mayoral is able to score goals despite some disappointing loan spells elsewhere in Europe.
The canvas of opinion at the Santiago Bernabeu is ever-changing, and Bale has long been on the wrong side of it. The Wales international hasn’t always received the best reception in front of his own fans, nor the nicest of goodbyes when making his way to the bench. A lovely, clipped finish against La Real bought him exactly what he needs: time. Time to find his confidence once again, to find his role within the side and to contribute for extended periods rather than in brief flashes.
At 28 years of age, having spent four years at the club, it is curious that Bale is yet to find his true home under Zidane. Before a catalogue of injuries took hold, he found joy when cutting in from the right wing, the very same area in which he was picked out by Isco for his goal on Sunday
For Borja, that particular conundrum is moot. The young Spaniard will be used up front, with his nose for goal ensuring he will make the most of the plentiful chances that this Madrid team can create for him in the penalty area. After Sergio Ramos' battling in the opposition penalty area, his finish came as naturally as they have been in training. In the build-up to Kevin Rodrigues’ own goal, meanwhile, the youngster showed he has the change of pace and touch to craft half-chances off his own back.
Both under-pressure forwards found the back of the net and, consequently, the front pages of Madrid’s sports-based newspapers, yet this is just the start of their journey to redemption. Bale and Borja demonstrated what they could do on Sunday, but they must now produce the goods on a consistent basis.
Minutes are required in order for them to do that, but Zidane is the perfect manager to coax good form out of two players with chequered recent pasts.
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