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Cristiano Ronaldo was asked for help in stopping Gareth Bale by Israel coach

MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 07:  Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid get ready to kick off the ball after Club Atletico de Madrid
Image: Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid

Israel coach Eli Guttman says he tried to ask Cristiano Ronaldo for advice about how to stop Gareth Bale during Wales' crunch European Qualifier.

Bale is set to line up against Israel in Haifa on Saturday night but Guttman has dismissed the idea of using strong-arm tactics to try to curb Ronaldo's Real Madrid team-mate.  

"We contacted Cristiano (Ronaldo) exactly how to do it, how to stop Bale," Guttman said at his press conference ahead of the Group B top-of-the-table clash at the Sammy Ofer Stadium.

"But he didn't answer the call and it is not about one man.

"This is a team game and we do not have enough strong players to kick Bale out.

"We're going to play the game as one unit not to give him space. This is our plan."

Guttman created headlines all over Europe a couple of weeks ago when he questioned Bale's form at the Bernabeu and suggested the Wales forward was "saving himself" for the European Qualifier.

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But Bale scored both goals in Real's next game, a 2-0 league victory over Levante, and Guttman distanced himself from those remarks on Friday when asked about the 25-year-old's poor performance in Madrid's Clasico defeat by Barcelona last weekend.

"I have to tell you that I must improve my humour," Guttman said.

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"After my sentence he scored two goals for Real Madrid and he held his hands to his ears.

"But he did not do it for me, he did it for the fans of Real Madrid.

"How much did they pay for him? 100 million euros? He deserves it."

Israel and Wales have emerged as the shock early front-runners in a group where Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina were expected to fill the two automatic qualifying spots, but Guttman says he is not surprised by his side's form.

"We are surprised to be top," said Guttman, whose side host Belgium on Tuesday in a fixture postponed last September due to the political situation in the Middle East at the time.

"If you had asked me before if we would get nine points I would say maybe seven.

"But after the performance against Bosnia it is not surprising because the group deserved it.

"I'm showing my players to be focused and concentrated only on the next game.

"I believe when you're focused on the next game you do your job and I don't know how many points you need to be in second or third position.

"I'm not calculating it, but every game in this league of 10 games is a big match."

Watch Israel v Wales, live on Sky Sports HD 5, from 4.30 on Saturday March 28

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