Gareth Bale Hat-Trick Propels Real Madrid Past Kashima Antlers in Club World Cup

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale scored a brilliant hat-trick on Wednesday as his side coasted past Kashima Antlers 3-1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.

After the Japanese outfit spurned some big openings early on at the ZSC Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, Los Blancos grew into the game and started to show their quality.

They got the key breakthrough just before the interval, as Bale finished well after a brilliant combination down the left with Marcelo.

The Welshman was then quick to finish the game off in the second period, doubling up following a mistake in the Kashima defence and then lashing home his third soon after. Shama Doi grabbed a late consolation goal for his side.

Madrid will play Al Ain in Saturday's final after the hosts upset Copa Libertadores winners River Plate in the other semi-final on Tuesday. Al Ain won 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Bale Must be Solari's Ronaldo for Madrid to Thrive

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Ever since the summer when Madrid sold Cristiano Ronaldo and lost manager Zinedine Zidane, there have been signs Los Blancos have lacked leadership on the pitch and on the sidelines. If things are going to get better in 2019, you sense the form of Bale will play a big part.

The opposition may have been modest, but once again he proved to be Los Blancos' player for the big occasion with a timely trio of goals.

The Spanish Football Podcast noted a hat-trick has been a while coming for the former Tottenham Hotspur star:

He is now also one of a few players to have netted a hat-trick in this tournament:

It's a competition Madrid may not have even been in had it not been for Bale's impact off the bench in May, as he scored twice in the UEFA Champions League final win over Liverpool. His first was an iconic overhead kick from the edge of the area.

Ben Hayward of the Evening Standard said Bale deserves more credit for what he has done for Madrid:

There were signs early in the campaign that Bale would relish attempting to fill the void left by Ronaldo, as he operated with productivity and freedom in the final third. As Madrid's season has spiralled, that edge the forward had has been dulled.

There have been some small signs he is on the way back to his best form in recent weeks, with this display the most emphatic indication yet. Manager Santiago Solari will be hopeful the upward trend continues beyond this tournament and into the second half of 2018-19.

What's next?

Real Madrid will now go up against Al Ain in the final on Saturday. Kashima Antlers will contest the third-place playoff with River Plate.