Karim Benzema's Brace Leads Real Madrid to 2-1 Win over Eibar in La Liga

Real Madrid came from behind to beat Eibar 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Saturday after second-half goals from Karim Benzema.

Los Blancos did not manage a single shot on target in the first half; the closest they came to scoring was Benzema's disallowed strike in the ninth minute.

Marc Cardona fired the visitors in front in the 39th minute when he finished off a neat move that saw Marc Cucurella and Gonzalo Escalante carve open Real's defence.

Benzema thought he had equalised after the break when he slotted home after goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic failed to clear his lines in a one-on-one, but a tight offside call went against the Frenchman following a VAR review.

The striker pulled the hosts level in the 59th minute, though, when he headed home Alvaro Odriozola's cross at the back post.

Another Benzema header from Toni Kroos' cross with nine minutes of normal time remaining secured the win for Los Blancos.

Bale Should Leave Madrid This Summer

Whistles from his own supporters are nothing new to Bale in the Spanish capital.

Even Cristiano Ronaldo was not immune to jeers from the Bernabeu crowd at times, but it's something Bale has had to deal with frequently since his move to Real in 2013.

On Saturday, however, the crowd's patience with the Welshman was even thinner than usual.

It took just minutes for them to whistle him, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

Things only got worse from there, as The Spanish Football Podcast observed:

As Tom Allnutt of the Agence France-Presse noted, his treatment from the crowd and his manager is not conducive to getting the best out of him:

The 29-year-old was taken off after a disappointing game shortly before Benzema's winner to a chorus of further boos.

Bale's future has been the subject of speculation since Zinedine Zidane returned to the dugout in March, and if there is to be an overhaul of the squad this summer, he should strongly consider moving on.

He's a proven match-winner at the highest level, but he has never appeared fully settled in Madrid. Earlier this season, team-mates Thibaut Courtois and Marcelo publicly discussed his low grasp of Spanish and difficulties adapting to aspects of the local lifestyle, such as eating late.

This season was also his opportunity to inherit Ronaldo's mantle after the Portuguese left for Juventus last summer, but he hasn't come close to doing so. Ronaldo averaged 50 goals per season at the Bernabeu, while Bale has managed 14 in this campaign.

The winger will be 30 in July, so he's potentially entering his final few years at the top level.

He'd be better off spending the final years of his career at a club where he's more appreciated and has the freedom to get back to his best after a disappointing season. 

What's Next

Real travel to Leganes on April 15, a day after Eibar make a trip to Real Sociedad.