Real Madrid need more consistency to win La Liga - Bale

Gareth Bale says Real Madrid have lacked the consistency to win La Liga during his three seasons at the club, but hopes they can achieve that under Zinedine Zidane this season.

Real finished one point behind champions Barcelona last season, and after winning the Champions League twice since joining Los Blancos in 2013, the 27-year-old hopes to lift the league title next.

“We need to be more consistent,” he told Sport magazine. “We had a very good end of the season last year, but we need to be better at the start and in the middle.

“Ultimately, the most consistent team wins the league. We came very close last year -- not close enough, but we’re going to work harder as a team together. Hopefully, at the end of the season, we’re lifting that trophy.”

Bale was criticised during his second season with Real, but looking back on that time he said it helped him to improve and achieve even more.

“In a way, I’m quite glad that happened because it made me a stronger person, a stronger player,” he said. “You learn more from when things are not going well than if you were just a winner. I’ve really benefited from it.

“As a footballer, you want to keep improving. The main thing for me was to push myself more and more, to get better and better. Those are the challenges every year. Even if you have a great season, you have to try and have a better one next year. That’s the challenge I face.”

Having helped Wales reach the semifinals of Euro 2016 the next target is to reach the 2018 World Cup, and maybe even win some silverware.

“We want to qualify for a World Cup,” he said. “It would be incredible for us as a nation. We’ve said all along, even though we qualified for the Euros, we want to be at major tournaments on a consistent basis. So, yeah, play in a World Cup, qualify for major tournaments -- and, you never know, sneak a trophy there. But just to keep doing as well as I can, winning as many trophies as I can.”

Lowe: Atletico are much more than defence

“Bayern Munich are one of the best teams in the world and I can’t remember the last time they lost,” Diego Simeone said. No? Here’s a clue: you were there. In fact, you had a pretty good view of the winning goal -- you said so yourself. You were in your usual place, dressed your usual way: all in black, on the touchline not too far away when Saúl set off through their defence.

The last time Bayern Munich lost was almost five months ago, against Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón.

This week, they were back again... and they were beaten again. Bayern have lost just twice in 26 games, both of them to Atlético.

“We were happy when the goal went in,” Simeone said back then; he was happier still this time. When he drove home a bit before midnight, he pulled away out the north end of the stadium, beepbeeping his horn.

Atlético have lost twice in 19 Champions League group games; they’ve only been beaten once at home in this competition under Simeone.

SPAIN

La Liga

Yesterday R. Sociedad-Real Betis ....................... 1-0 Today Granada-Leganes .................................... Sevilla-Dep. Alaves ................................. Osasuna-Las Palmas ............................... Dep. La Coruna-Sp. Gijon ....................... Tomorrow Valencia-At. Madrid ................................ Real Madrid-Eibar ................................... Espanyol-Villarreal .................................. Malaga-At. Bilbao ................................... Celta Vigo-Barcelona ..............................