Real Madrid vs. Deportivo: Breaking Down Gareth Bale's Performance Against Depor

There have been boos, there have been whistles and accusations of selfishness. There have been links back to England and a move to Manchester United, per John Richardson of the Express. But for the first time in a few weeks, there was also evidence that Gareth Bale can be a true star at Real Madrid.

Back in June, it would have seemed ridiculous to be questioning his potential in Carlo Ancelotti's side, when it was his goal that won Madrid the Copa del Rey against Barcelona, his header that helped them win the Champions League against rivals Atletico Madrid.

But nothing gold can stay and these days even Cristiano Ronaldo takes his fair share of the flak.

The Portugal star was given an extremely mixed reception as he played at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time in recent weeks, fresh from the controversy over his birthday party which took place in the wake of his team's mauling by Diego Simeone's Atletico.

He didn't have a good game, as Madrid earned a hard-fought 2-0 win over Deportivo de la Coruna.

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That took the spotlight off of Bale, who had been the scapegoat lately. There just seemed to be something wrong with the Welshman's game; he didn't seem on the same level as the likes of Isco, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema.

Bale's always been a physical player, someone whose searing pace is a key facet of his game, something which can disguise the fact that he doesn't always think with a "football brain."

With Ronaldo missing against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu, Bale was given the chance to take the stage, but he put in a poor performance, with Benzema instead being the threat for Los Blancos.

Madrid's talisman was back, but Bale seemed determined not to fade away on to the sidelines and let Ronaldo dominate proceedings.

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Starting in his usual position on the right wing, Bale began the game at 100 miles an hour and rarely let up in a superb individual first half.

The one mistake he made in the first period was a poor defensive header, which enabled Deportivo's Oriol Riera to have a strike at goal.

But the fact that Bale was back in his own box was an improvement on last week's shambles against Atletico Madrid, a game Real lost 4-0 at the Vicente Calderon.

Graham Hunter wrote a piece for ESPN FC after that game, picking up several moments that Bale handled poorly. Here are three of his comments:

"

Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema had begun to track back and put in harassment, pressing or tackles far, far less regularly than they should...

Neither Bale nor the much closer Benzema bothers to even get close to him from their positions around the half-way line...

The Brazilian wing-back simply trots forward and Bale gives up on him, allowing him to join with Mandzukic to make a two-on-one against Carvajal...

"

But, perhaps stung by the criticism that came his way, or, more likely, given a rollicking by Ancelotti, Bale bucked up his ideas in this clash.

He worked extremely hard throughout, with one strong piece of shielding in the second half on the touchline of his own half particularly notable.

Madrid didn't make him the most expensive player in world football for his defensive aptitude, though, and he had plenty to offer going forward too.

It was Bale's lay-off that Ronaldo viciously hammered against the crossbar. And Bale himself was next to go up against the woodwork.

Bale's clever flick—perhaps he can learn to play the Madrid way—found Benzema, who was fouled, but Bale ran on to the ball and burst forward at blistering pace. He hammered a strike at goal but it was touched onto the crossbar by Fabricio.

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The Welshman went close himself again with a header at the far post, but it was deflected behind for a corner, and a cross of his from the left was well fielded by the goalkeeper.

Bale's key contribution came in the form of a beautifully and deliberately sliced cross from the right, which Benzema knocked back towards Ronaldo.

The Portugal star somehow contrived to miss from one yard out, but Madrid kept the move alive and it culminated in Isco arcing a strike beyond Fabricio and into the net, to break the deadlock.

While Bale's cross hadn't been the actual assist for the goal, it was him who had destablised the defence and switched the play to put Madrid on the front foot in the move.

Another good cross by Bale followed when he charged down the right, doing well to keep it accurate at such great pace. Ronaldo headed it off-target, but if he had left it then Isco was steaming in behind and looked the more likely candidate to score.

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In recent weeks Bale has been accused of being selfish, for not passing to Benzema and Ronaldo, but you could argue that he was too unselfish here.

One burst forward through the middle saw him play the ball into Benzema, when he could have continued the dribble himself and worked the space for a shot.

He took on opponents several times during the game, usually winning the battle and then moving the ball on with care.

Bale was back in his own box defending again in the second half, although he should have put a better challenge in on Celso Borges, who struck the post as Deportivo chased an equaliser.

When Ronaldo blazed a free-kick high and wide of the target, you wondered if Bale might have been the better option for it. He got his chance later on, but Fabricio made a good save from Bale's dead-ball effort.

There was to be no goal for the Welshman, but compared to his other performances of late, this was a step above. This was something that suggests there is life beyond this season for him at the club, it was something to suggest he is evolving and learning to adapt his game.