Real Madrid: 3 takeaways from Gareth Bale’s Euro 2020

Real Madrid will never get the best Gareth Bale back

Despite Gareth Bale’s impressive range of passing and big match against Turkey, we saw throughout the tournament that a true rebound for the 31-year-old is impossible. Any fans holding onto a last shred of hope that Bale can return to being the player he was a few years ago can safely put those aspirations to bed, because it’s not happening.

Aside from a couple of great runs on the end line against a fast-asleep Turkish defense, Bale struggled to beat defenders one-on-one. He averaged fewer than one dribble completed per game when all was said and done, and he was a huge disappointment against the more astute defensive sides than Turkey.

Bale showed he can be a playmaker and make smart plays, as his technique and awareness remain as keen as ever. But the decline physically is not going away, which is the crux of the issue for Real Madrid. What they need on that right-hand side is someone who can create their own shooting chances and take-ons, because a wide forward at Real Madrid needs to be that kind of superstar difference-maker from a scoring standpoint.

Real will have to make do with this different Bale, but a sudden explosion isn’t happening and the same consistency questions will likely follow the player in 2021-2022.