Gareth Bale Banned 2 Matches After Red Card vs. Las Palmas

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale will miss the team's next two La Liga matches as punishment for the red card he received against Las Palmas on Wednesday.

As reported by Marca (h/t ESPN FC), the Welshman has been hit with a two-game suspension following his dismissal, which occurred after Bale picked up two bookings in quick succession in the early stages of the second half of the 3-3 draw.

It means the No. 11 is set to sit out the clash with Eibar on Saturday and Madrid's subsequent domestic fixture against Real Betis. Per the report, Madrid have said they will appeal the decision.

Bale's uncharacteristic loss of discipline, which saw him push Jonathan Viera in the chest, cost his team dear in the game. Although Madrid had not performed well in the match, there was an element of control to their play with the score at 1-1 before the red card.

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The dismissal buoyed the visitors, who surged into a 3-1 lead. However, Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice for the hosts in the last five minutes to salvage what could be a valuable point.

Bale told Real Madrid that while he didn't agree with the decision, he regretted his actions. "I don't believe that it was deserving of a red card," he told Real Madrid TV (h/t BBC Sport). "I was shown the yellow for the foul, I was then pushed and I just pushed him back. I want to apologise to the team and the fans. I hope to learn from my mistake."

As WhoScored.com noted on the night, it's been a long time since the 27-year-old was given his marching orders in a match:

While Bale's petulance may have had a detrimental impact on his team, for him personally it's a big setback.

After all, the Welshman was beginning to find his groove once again after returning to the team following an injury layoff. Per TransferMarkt, he missed 17 matches because of an ankle problem earlier in the campaign and was making just his second start since coming back from that absence.

With Ronaldo reportedly struggling to be fit for the trip to Eibar on Saturday, per The Independent, it means manager Zinedine Zidane may be without his two key attackers for what has become a very important game. Real trail rivals Barcelona by a point at the top of La Liga having played one game less.