CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL ULTIMATE Steve BATES
Bale’s amazing strike will now see him adored by the Real fans
ALFREDO DI STEFANO, Ferenc Puskas, Raul, Zinedine Zidane, the two Ronaldos may all be football Gods in the eyes of Real Madrid fans.
Until this Final in the Olimpiysky Stadium in Kiev Gareth Bale could only dream of being accepted the same way by the Madridistas.
But after his wonder goal against Liverpool whatever the future holds for Bale at the Bernabeu his Madrid past is now emblazoned in glory forever.
Call it what you like – breathtaking, stunning, beyond brilliant – his overhead kick will live in the memory as arguably the greatest goal ever seen in a major final.
The 1988 European Championship goal by Marco van Basten for Holland is up there so is Zinedine Zidane’s 2002 goal which helped Madrid win the Champions League Final. But the technique, audacity and sheer skill of Bale’s 64th minute bicycle kick which stunned Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool will take some beating.
And it capped an astonishing turnaround for Welshman Bale who had cut a forlorn figure in the Real Madrid dugout after being left out of the starting line-up.
Talent
Instead of sulking, Bale did what all true stars do – he drew on his talent to make a statement that sent doubting Madrid fans into raptures.
And he didn’t stop at one. His late goal after yet another Loris Karius blunder cemented a place in Madrid’s rich European history.
Whatever path Bale’s career takes he can now be ranked as one of the Bernabeu’s finest.
For the former Tottenham star has now banked a staggering four Champions League winners medals.
That makes him European football royalty on a huge scale and no other British player comes close. Bale never expected to be taken into the bosom of Madrid fans like Cristiano Ronaldo or Sergio Ramos. But after scoring goals like his stunning 2014 Copa del Rey winner against Barcelona he could at least expect to be given some acclaim.
Now the adoration he craved is his – and not even Ronaldo could deny him his moment of glory last night in a final that lived up to it’s billing. Jurgen Klopp knew it would take “big balls football” to stop the Real Madrid juggernaut in it’s tracks in Kiev.
But even though another final defeat for the Kop boss left him devastated he couldn’t have expected his stars to respond to a crisis that would have crippled most teams in a Champions League Final.
As if losing Mo Salah wasn’t bad enough after the Egyptian suffered a shoulder injury in a challenge with archenemy Ramos after just 25 minutes of an enthralling final there was more anguish for Liverpool.
A bizarre opening goal by Karim Benzema after Karius carelessly tried to clear was a massive body blow. But