Gareth Bale's Position and Influence at Real Madrid Continuing to Strengthen

Zinedine Zidane bit his lip and grimaced, turning to disappear down the tunnel at the Estadio Benito Villamarin. Quickly following him was a frustrated-looking Cristiano Ronaldo, while those who still lingered on the pitch wore both expressions of exasperation and sweat-soaked shirts. 

In a way they hadn't expected, Real Madrid had been forced to fight by a Real Betis team that supposedly had no fight in it. By the end, the visitors had earned a draw in a genuine scrap, but for them it felt worse than that; the hosts and their fans celebrated it like a win, local newspaper Estadio Deportivo dubbing Betis' players the "14 Gladiators."

Collectively for Madrid, it was a damaging setback. But for one man looking on from a distance, it wasn't—not in a personal sense, anyway. 

For Gareth Bale, this strengthened his cause. 

In the game's aftermath, Marcelo was quizzed on the Welshman's absence. "He's a great player," said the Brazilian of Bale, per Marca, "but it's insulting to say we missed him with the squad that we have."

Marcelo was simply being diplomatic by giving his support to those who had played, and yet his words weren't entirely true either. Madrid had missed Bale and it was obvious; Zidane's men lacked his power, his penetration and his suddenly-immense aerial threat. 

In his place, James Rodriguez had struggled. Alongside the Colombian, Ronaldo had again been wasteful in a way that's becoming uncomfortable this season, while the reliance on Karim Benzema in tight affairs had been evident once more. 

In an odd kind of way, the timing was good for Bale. 

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Prior to suffering a calf injury against Sporting Gijon, the former Tottenham Hotspur star had been Madrid's outstanding player for a month. In four-and-a-half outings, he'd racked up nine goals and three assists—two hat-tricks were included in the haul as he burst to prominence. 

The performances on their own were notable. Appearing settled and assured, confident and assertive, Bale had no longer looked like Ronaldo and Benzema's sidekick; instead, he'd looked like a leader and the star, his demeanour different, the sensations radiating from him totally new. 

Perhaps even more notable, though, was the reaction to the performances. At the Bernabeu, Bale earned what felt like his first-ever standing ovation for his hat-trick against Deportivo La Coruna. "All rise for King Bale," ran one Marca headline. "Air Bale delivers again," ran another. 

That night, club director Emilio Butragueno called the Welshman's display his "best performance of the season," while AS said Bale was "the best of the lot"—"an explosive afternoon, a complete performance."

Steadily, the tide is turning for Bale. Prior to Sunday's trip to Seville, the headline to a preview from AS had read: "Goalless Betis face Bale-less Madrid." Six months ago, his absence wouldn't have been the focus. Twelve months ago, his absence might even have been welcomed.

Not now.

Madrid as a city and as a club is now warming to Bale. This is a player, remember, who's been howled at by the Bernabeu, fumed at by team-mates, butchered in the press and had his car attacked. He's a player who's felt ostracised; at times, even targeted.  

Thus, the shift is significant. 

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In the stands, Bale has more support. In the press, something similar has been evident. Out on the pitch, things around him have changed, too. 

From his team-mates, there appears to have been a certain recognition of Bale's growing stature. More involved, more demonstrative, the Wales international is now getting the ball more, those around him seeking him out in a way they haven't before.

Across the board, his statistics are up, and by "across the board," we mean everything—goals, assists, shots on target, passes, passing accuracy, key passes, crosses, long balls. The lot. 

And then Sunday happened.

The instant Bale stepped out of the side, Madrid down-geared and missed a beat. Of course, part of that is coincidental, but part of it isn't, too. In effect, the draw with Betis has strengthened the 26-year-old's position, reinforcing the sense of his increasing influence and upward trajectory. 

The timing here in a broader sense is important, too. 

This was always going to be a defining season for the Welshman. Fail, and he'd be chased out of the Spanish capital; thrive, and the possibilities would be endless. Right now, it's the latter he's trending toward as he alters perceptions of him and the reactions to him. 

Suddenly, the vibes for him are very different. In all quarters Bale's excellence is being noticed and acknowledged, giving strength and momentum to the idea that, soon, he could be Real Madrid's central figure. Its leader. Its reference point. 

This time last season, such a notion didn't exist. Now it does.

Real Madrid's performance on Sunday without him strengthened it a little further. 

Follow @TimDCollins