Source: SNAPPA
Was Gareth Bale actually on the pitch as Real Madrid lost to Juventus?
Watching from afar it’s often seemed Gareth Bale has been harshly treated by Real Madrid fans.
Tonight Madrid lost 2-1 to Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final – and Bale’s contribution was somewhere between zero and nothing.
Gareth Bale: Had fewer touches (11) than any other player in the first half of Juventus 1-1 Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/UaMupfmhem
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 5, 2015
And this time, it wasn’t just the Madrid fans who had unkind things to say about the Wales international.
Is Gareth Bale playing?
— Ouriel Daskal (@Soccerissue) May 5, 2015
Has anyone seen Gareth Bale? pic.twitter.com/kqwRZPiIpo
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) May 5, 2015
Search goes on for Gareth #Bale. A splendid player, currently lost in the Turin Triangle.
#JuveReal #JUVRMA 2-1 pic.twitter.com/ChwDYf9rly
— Des Kelly (@DesKellyBTS) May 5, 2015
Where's Bale? pic.twitter.com/ISKyvE4NXs
— ✩ (@Evaulio) May 5, 2015
Give me Gareth Bale and 10 blocks of wood and I'll have 11 blocks of wood
— Nadim Rmeity (@nadimrmeity) May 5, 2015
Gareth Bale's heat map pic.twitter.com/BfkBRFDKO1
— Tim Bolton (@timbolton1) May 5, 2015
And of course, ITV pundit Roy Keane didn’t hold back.
Roy Keane: "It was very difficult for Real Madrid tonight playing with 10 men. Gareth Bale gave them absolutely nothing."
— Football__Tweet (@Football__Tweet) May 5, 2015
Ouch.
He definitely was playing though – we have a picture to prove it.
(Massimo Pinca/AP)
One bookmaker thought it had got to the root of Bale’s problem.
This just in from the lab. Looks pretty conclusive. Bale football performance v length of his hair. pic.twitter.com/fyZovPs547
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) May 5, 2015
He was even getting trolled in other languages.
Har nån sett Gareth Bale idag? pic.twitter.com/7dQhhg8Au4
— Unibet Sverige (@Unibet_Sverige) May 5, 2015
We don’t speak Swedish, but we reckon we can work out what that one’s getting at.
As if that wasn’t bad enough – people are starting to speculate that he might be losing his hair.
Only hot takes over here today: Is Gareth Bale balding? pic.twitter.com/dMCS7xdiIL
— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) May 5, 2015
Once again there was much speculation that all might not be well between Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, as pictures did the rounds of the pair not looking each other in the eye.
Bale and Ronaldo. pic.twitter.com/pvkn3C2xIN
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cr7Prince4ever) May 5, 2015
It was Ronaldo who got Madrid on the scoresheet – equalising with a close-range header after Alvaro Morata put Juve ahead.
Carlos Tevez then scored the winner for the hosts from the spot just before the hour mark – and lots of English fans were enjoying seeing the Argentinian in action again.
Tevez won that game with his bulldog like approach
— dan wilson (@dannywilsonx) May 5, 2015
He's still a great little player Tevez
— Michael Lee (@mickcity74) May 5, 2015
We love you Tevez we do, we love you Tevez we do, we love you Tevez we do. OH TEVEZ WE LOVE YOU.
— G. (@touresilva_) May 5, 2015
Despite being behind, there’s reason for Madrid to be confident ahead of the second leg at the Bernabeu.
Since the away goals rule in case of a draw has been in place, Real Madrid has comeback 2-1 on 4 of 7 occasions.
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) May 5, 2015
But back to Bale – and what does the future hold?
Can't see Bale lasting much longer at Madrid with fans turning on him and clubs willing to pay up for him
— Ammar (@YRCHDVideos) May 5, 2015
Odds on Bale back to England next season? But where…
— Ethan (@Behzinga) May 5, 2015
Gareth Bale has looked a bit lost tonight. Someone show him the way to Old Trafford.
— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) May 5, 2015
We wouldn’t bet too much money against that.