Sunday night will obviously invite Gareth Bale-Neymar comparisons. If there was a thin dime between the overall cost of the two summer transfers then that’s all you could separate them with now that Barcelona have been forced into transparency over their purchase from Santos.
For the moment it’s sufficient to argue that no British player has ever started as impressively at a major European club.
But for the Welshman to arrive without the vital preparation of a preseason, suffer injuries, suffer an unforgiving microscopic glare of attention from the jumpy Spanish media and then to have at this stage of the season nearly 30 goals that have either been scored by him or been produced as assists is quite remarkable.
I suspect that Football isn’t fully clear about how much more there is to come. Bale is increasingly looking as if there’s no one in La Liga and the Champions League who can come near to coping with his pace. Increasingly, he looks utterly comfortable, both within this squad and also with his place in the hierarchy.
Very early on Bale praised Ronaldo, made sure that CR7’s feathers remained unruffled. Then he set about impressing him in training. The way that worked wasn’t simply showing technical excellence but giving evidence of the fact that Bale is an exceptional professional just like Ronaldo.
Attention to detail, ambition, intensity of work — all boxes ticked.
What attracts my attention, particularly after the past two matches, is that instead of the narrative of several months ago when it was vital for Bale’s reputation and the security of his place in the Real Madrid firmament that he played Robin to Ronaldo’s Batman, there is now a genuine connection between the dynamic duo.
Bale has given Ronaldo nine goal assists this season, three in the past two games. (I’m counting Ronaldo’s second goal Tuesday and I don’t care who disagrees. The goal comes because of Bale’s exceptional robbing of the ball and drive forward.)
What was emphasised against Schalke is that Bale is unselfish, knows instinctively what run Ronaldo will make, has the technical skills to centre for his team leader and the two men both think and run at identical speeds.
Equally, Ronaldo is a quick learner. He’s happy to feed Bale, happy to run the risk that Bale will shoot and score off a Ronaldo pass … because the majority of times if Ronaldo sends Bale away with a pass he’s likely to get the return service if the Welshman has the option of a shot or serving up an assist.
Madrid could certainly have guessed that there might be a ‘fit’ between the two men, but a decent risk-assessment must also have told them that there was the possibility of Ronaldo’s nose being out of joint at the arrival of his British clone.
Yet, week by week, it’s getting to be a stronger, more interesting and more devastating partnership. You take your pick whether the Neymar or the Bale investment was a better one.
But there is no longer any doubting that Bale is more than capable of taking Madrid, and Spain, by storm.
MWANGALA ILUKENA 