08/19/19 03:51:00
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08/19 03:49 CDT In 1 game, Bale shows he can still contribute at Real Madrid
In 1 game, Bale shows he can still contribute at Real Madrid
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Just like that, Gareth Bale is part of the solution for Real
Madrid again.
After only one game back as a starter, the player who wasn't wanted by coach
Zinedine Zidane a few weeks ago showed he can still contribute to the team.
Zidane started Bale in the team's Spanish league opener on Saturday --- less
than a month after saying his transfer would be good for everyone --- and got a
positive response from the Wales forward in a 3-1 win over Celta Vigo.
Bale's good performance was a relief after Zidane and Madrid had struggled to
find ways to deal with the forward following failed attempts to transfer him in
the offseason.
"He is going to stay," Zidane said Saturday. "All the players we have now are
focused on the season ahead. Bale and all the players want to stay and want to
do their best to defend this jersey."
Bale had a great first half against Celta, setting up Karim Benzema's opening
goal with a perfectly placed cross in the 12th minute. He nearly found the net
himself a few moments later with a shot that prompted a good save by the
opposing goalkeeper.
After being substituted by Francisco "Isco" Alarcon toward the end of the
second half, Bale was saluted by Zidane and his teammates on the bench.
"Bale has helped us win titles, he has scored important goals for us," Madrid
midfielder Casemiro said. "We have a lot of respect for him. He has to keep
playing, he is a great player."
FAIRYTALE APPEARANCE
Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz returned from his post-match interview to
find his teammates applauding him and chanting his name in the locker room.
The 38-year-old veteran had just scored an amazing overhead kick a minute after
entering the match in the 88th, giving Athletic an opening win against
defending champion Barcelona.
It was the perfect start to Aduriz's final season as a player.
The former Spain international announced he will be retiring this season,
ending a career that will include more than 400 matches and 170 goals with the
Basque Country club.
"Football is so beautiful sometimes because of things like this. It gives you
chances like this," Aduriz said. "It will be impossible not to miss this. I'm
just incredibly happy to be able to choose how I'm ending my career, and to be
able to do it at the place that I love the most."
BARCELONA'S INJURIES
Barcelona is off to its worst league start in a decade and injury woes could
keep the two-time defending champions from rebounding quickly.
It remains unclear whether Lionel Messi and Luiz Surez will be available for
the match against Real Betis on Sunday, as both continue to nurse muscle
injuries.
Messi got hurt in the preseason and didn't play in Friday's 1-0 loss at
Athletic Bilbao, while Surez didn't make it past halftime in the opener.
Messi is expected to return to practice this week and has a greater chance of
being in the lineup against Betis, but Surez is not as likely to be fit in
time for Sunday's game.
Barcelona had won 10 straight league openers.
HARSH RED CARDS
Refereeing officials warned before the league started they would not tolerate
fouls that could lead to Achilles injuries.
A couple of players got to see first-hand that the officials were serious about
their warning, including Luka Modric.
The Real Madrid midfielder was sent off for stepping on an opponent from behind
in the team's opener against Celta Vigo on Saturday.
A day later, it was Getafe's Jorge Molina who was ejected for a similar foul in
the game against Atltico Madrid. In both occasions, the red cards were shown
after video reviews.
"We were told in advance that when a player steps on another player from behind
it doesn't matter whether it was on purpose," Atltico Madrid coach Diego
Simeone said.
Both Modric and Molina claimed their fouls were accidental.
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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni
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