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Gareth Bale struggled in Real Madrid's Champions League loss to Juventus

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid looks dejected as Alvaro Morata of Juventus scores their first goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final in Turin

Gareth Bale endured another difficult night in a Real Madrid shirt as the defending champions were beaten 2-1 by Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Turin. Adam Bate looks at the alarming stats that highlight Bale's current struggle for form...

The Champions League semi-finals are precisely the sort of occasions on which a team like Real Madrid are grateful to have paid €100million for a decisive intervention. But for world record signing Gareth Bale, it brought only a frustrating night in Turin as he spent the match on the periphery, watching on as Juventus secured a 2-1 advantage ahead of next Wednesday's second leg in Madrid.

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Gareth Bale endured another difficult night in a Real Madrid shirt as the defending champions were beaten 2-1 by Juventus

It’s been a recurring problem for Bale in what’s proving to be an awkward second season. If he thought he’d turned a corner with his brace against Levante in March (a performance that came complete with a goal celebration that let it be known he is fully aware of the criticism that’s come his way), this was further evidence that his best form continues to elude him.

In fact, despite that Levante game and a further goal in a 9-1 thrashing of Granada, Bale has failed to find the net in 15 of the other 17 matches he’s played for Real since late January. The big games have come and gone without his influence felt. All change for a player who scored crucial goals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals last term.

But it’s the basics that are proving particularly problematic for Bale right now. Without those headline moments, he’s struggling to make a contribution of note. “What do they want from Bale? That he scores very important goals and wins titles with those goals,” Guillem Balague told Sky Sports earlier this season. “Fine, he did that last season and everybody was pleased with it.

“Now that he’s not scoring they want him to show more defensive commitment. They want him to track more often and help the full-backs, for instance. They want him to link more with the midfield and do more of what they expect from a player in that kind of position.” But it's the new position - in the centre of the pitch - that's adding to his problems.

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) and Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale (L) react after Juventus goal

Against Juventus, there were encouraging signs early on. Karim Benzema has done an important job for Real in the recent past in stopping the opposition’s deep-lying playmaker from building attacks and that responsibility fell to Bale on Tuesday against the expert creator, Andrea Pirlo. One early interception helped get Real away on the break only for Leandro Bonucci to commit a desperate foul that earned him a booking.

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Unfortunately that was as close to Pirlo as Bale was able to get all evening. In fact, remarkably, it was the only time in the entire match in which he succeeded in winning possession for his side. No starter on either side got hold of the ball from an opponent on fewer occasions.

Worrying

More worryingly, it was also about as familiar as he became with the football throughout his 86 minutes on the field too. There were only 14 touches in the first half and nine attempted passes to a team-mate – both numbers putting him below the other 21 men on the pitch.

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Bale fared little better after the break, only able to take his tally to 32 touches in total and his lack of involvement was only highlighted further by the impact Javier Hernandez was able to have in a similar role late on. The busy forward had 18 touches of the ball in the final 27 minutes, while Bale’s struggles continued in his more familiar wide-right position. Even goalkeeper Iker Casillas - with 36 touches - saw more of the ball.

Isco and James Rodriguez had been able to fashion openings from the flanks but Bale remained reluctant to run at the defence with any conviction, completing just one dribble in the game. His attempt to knock the ball one side of Patrice Evra and run around the other was over-hit late on and he was then dispossessed by Arturo Vidal soon afterwards, as if to emphasise that he was off the pace.

Gareth Bale stats for Real Madrid against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final first leg

Perhaps the biggest concern for the Welshman’s many admirers was how visibly uncomfortable he appeared to be in the role he’d been tasked with. While Carlo Ancelotti might have been encouraged by the frequent glances over his shoulder to check Pirlo’s position when Juventus were in possession, it didn’t translate into an effective defensive display and only betrayed his uncertainty.

Watching the game for Sky Sports, former Liverpool forward Paul Walsh was unimpressed. “His body language is telling me that he’s not enjoying his football at the moment,” said Walsh. “He’s not happy and he’s taken a bit of flak from the fans because there are massive expectations on him. He looks like he’s got the world on his shoulders at the moment.”

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Real Madrid is a club built on its belief in the majestic moments of quality that the greatest individuals can provide. Ronaldo and Bale are the men currently charged with producing those moments. On Tuesday, not enough of them arrived so the pressure will be on in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium next week – something former Real record signing Kaka knows all about.

“In Madrid, pressure is normal,” Kaka told Sky Sports this week. “It’s not just with him, it’s with everybody. Even Cristiano, who has won two Ballon d’Ors with Real Madrid, receives whistles from the Bernabeu. He needs to use this opportunity to get stronger. That is my advice for Bale. Use the pressure to help himself grow his motivation and confidence.”

The indications in Turin are that Bale’s confidence has been rather higher than it is right now and he will need all his self-belief if he’s to help Real turn things around in the second leg. Big games need big players and issues of form and fitness are unlikely to get a sympathetic response in the Spanish capital. The scrutiny begins all over again next Wednesday.

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Gareth Bale endured another difficult night in a Real Madrid shirt as the defending champions were beaten 2-1 by Juventus

Watch Real Madrid v Juventus live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Wednesday May 13th

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