Valiant Barcelona pipped at the post by Bale

Barça fought hard and long last night in the Kings Cup but were beaten at the death by  a Gareth Bale wonder goal. It was Ángel Di María who put Real Madrid in front just after 10 minutes and it wasn’t until the 68th minute that Marc Bartra evened the scores.

But it was Gareth Bale’s sprint that captivated the evening and sealed the deal for “los blancos”. Bale picked up the ball on the halfway line and pushed it past Marc Bartra, who wasn’t a match for the Welshman’s blistering pace. Then, in a one on one with Pinto, Bale slotted the ball home and sealed victory for Real Madrid.

Neymar had the perfect chance after Bale’s goal to make it all even but hit the post with a fine effort in the box. Messi is starting to worry the fans as this is his third outing where his presence wasn’t felt.On the other hand, Ancelotti’s men without Cristian Ronaldo took the bull by the horns and found Barcelona’s weaknesses.

Barcelona also suffered by not having Valdés on the pitch. Pinto is a great keeper, but no match for the great Víctor. Real Madrid’s second goal was a real blow for the Blaugrana. A goal that comes so late in a cup game is very difficult to turn over and left Barcelona without any options.

All is not lost however. Barcelona are still in the league title race although it doesn’t depend on them. Anything can happen in football and Barcelona might just get some silverware after all.