Gareth Bale's Mixed Display vs. Espanyol Encapsulates His Season at Real Madrid

It's often said of Real Madrid that the club, regardless of its fortunes at any given point, is only ever a loss or two away from a crisis. Though not strictly a reality, that's often the perception. 

Gareth Bale, in his second season in the Spanish capital, must feel extremely similar on a personal level—that he's only ever one or two mistakes away from a tirade of criticism and being the focus of furious whistles echoing around the Santiago Bernabeu. 

It's a curious situation for the Welshman. A paradoxical one, really. But it's where the 25-year-old finds himself at present, with his performance against Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday neatly encapsulating both his season and his current plight.

In the first half against the Catalans, Bale proved to be the difference. Gathering the ball on the right flank just beyond the half-way line, he let fly with a stunning diagonal ball to Cristiano Ronaldo, who neatly made a one-touch pass to James Rodriguez to find the back of the net for Real Madrid's opener.  

Fifteen minutes later, after Isco had drawn a foul from Paco Montanes, Bale thumped a free-kick into the Espanyol net from 25 yards that left goalkeeper Kiko Casilla rooted to the spot. 

Real Madrid 2-0. Three points essentially secured. Bale the difference between the teams.

But things just aren't that simple for the Welshman right now.  

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Midway through the second half, the hosts were being forced to counter-attack after Fabio Coentrao's contentious sending off. Though one goal to Carlo Ancelotti's men would kill the game, they'd have to get it on the break. 

In the 72nd minute, the chance came. Real Madrid won possession and Isco fed a delightful ball through to the surging Bale who had gotten in behind the Espanyol defence. Charging at Casilla, with defenders making ground on him, he had a decision to make: Square it to Ronaldo or go it alone. 

He chose the latter. And missed.

Ronaldo was visibly incensed. Furious. A chorus of whistles for Bale followed, continuing every time he touched the ball thereafter. Because of one fleeting moment, those watching inside the stadium forgot everything he'd done prior to that point. 

When a different whistle sounded—the one belonging to the referee—to mark the game's conclusion, the world's most expensive player cut a lonely figure as players exited the pitch.

Somehow, despite being the architect of Real Madrid's 2-0 advantage at the break, Bale left the Bernabeu as the villain—a point the cameras seemed to emphasise as they focussed in on him. 

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

It isn't as though this apparent disconnect, this unenviable tightrope that Bale walks, is a perception held by just a small few. It's not. It's something that's had a widespread existence at the Bernabeu all season. Isco was even forced to answer questions on the matter immediately after the final whistle in an interview with GOLTV. 

"It was a fast break forward for him to get through on goal and he's decided to shoot," the Real Madrid midfielder said when asked about the missed opportunity and the crowd's reaction, as Inside Spanish Football relayed. "I don't think he knew Cristiano was there to one side, but hey, it's just one of those things in football."

Had it been any other player, it's highly unlikely the reaction would have been as strong as it was for Bale. And that's what's notable about the Welshman's situation—regardless of what he does, the focus continues to be on what he doesn't do.

The way he's viewed at the Bernabeu of late has that glass-half-empty slant; he can't seem to satisfy, only disappoint. 

Whether right or wrong, that's what it is. 

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Ancelotti, speaking after the match, said it's just part of the unparalleled demands that exist at Real Madrid. 

"Bale is a fundamental player for us, like Cristiano, for this fans demand more than others," the manager said of the whistles directed at the winger, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC. "That is normal, and fair, to me."

But not even Ancelotti's typically calm words can quell the fire for Bale, who still found himself as the topic of negative headlines after the match despite his strong first-half performance:

Bale might look at such headlines and shake his head. He might do the same as he departs the Bernabeu on Saturday evening, wondering if he'll ever get onside with those who populate the stadium. 

And as he does leave the ground, perhaps shaking his head, thousands of fans will head for the exits likely doing the same, wondering if he'll ever earn their adoration. 

He made a formation-splitting pass, blasted home a free-kick and made a mess of one opportunity.

But only one of those seemed to matter to those watching on.

It encapsulated his season.

Follow @TimDCollins