Bale stars, Zidane shows veterans the door in Real Madrid opener
No Cristiano Ronaldo . No Karim Benzema . No problem for Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale required fewer than two minutes to rocket home a header and put Real Madrid up against Real Sociedad in Los Blancos' La Liga season opener. Bale would also score with the last kick of the game to bookend a comfortable 3-0 away victory for the 2015-16 Champions League winners. The Welshman continued his case for the 2016 Ballon d'Or following an impressive run at Euro 2016 over the summer, after a strong conclusion to the 2015-16 season.
By the end of the 2015-16 season, Bale played as the central attacking figure for Zinedine Zidane's revitalized Real Madrid. On the pitch, the Welshman was more important than Ronaldo to Real Madrid by the end of the season.
If the first match of the new season was any indication, Bale will continue in that central role and impress his influence onto Real Madrid attack with even greater emphasis for the 2016-17 season. The first match of the new season served as a reminder of Bale's importance to Zidane's side as much as it expressly singled out the players the Frenchman considers surplus to the squad, namely Isco and James Rodriguez .
Marco Asensio got the nod over Rodriguez. Even without Ronaldo and Benzema available, Rodriguez did not figure into the manager's first 11. Hardly being subtle, the team selection appeared to be a direct message to the Colombian to search for greener pastures and to interested teams that the player was available before the close of the summer transfer window.
To seemingly shut the door on Rodriguez's future at the Santiago Bernabeu, Asensio played a strong first half and was rewarded for a sharp run with a perfectly timed ball from the back. The 20-year-old calmly and coolly chipped the goal keeper and scored for the second time in as many official starts for Real Madrid.
Along with Asensio, Alvaro Morata started in attack following his successful loan spell at Juventus . With both attacking players staking their claims to the first team, Rodriguez should already be looking for a moving company. Add in that both Morata and Asensio will struggle to start once Ronaldo and Benzema return to fitness, and the Colombian playmaker would effectively be outcast to Siberia if he does not move prior to the Aug. 31 deadline.
Chelsea has been linked with Rodriguez , so the 2014 FIFA World Cup's golden boot winner may soon be making the move to London.
Isco, however, is a different story altogether and a far more complex case. His quality has always shone through, but none of Real Madrid's recent managers have regularly started the Valencia youth product. Isco, though, is only 24 years old and has the technical ability to start in any league in the world.
With Casemiro emerging as a key midfield figure after Zidane took the reins, Isco's struggle to secure a starting spot was only further complicated. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are two of the best central midfielders in Europe, and with the B-B-C combo in attack, Isco simply does not figure into Madrid's best 11.
If Mateo Kovacic is preferred to Isco, which was the case in the season opener, then Isco's situation mirrors that of Rodridguez's. Staying at Real Madrid would be a waste of talent and of time, and the decision to only use the Spanish national as a substitute when Modric was not available sends a signal to the player to find a new home and to other teams to make an offer.
While Rodriguez is immensely talented, his build may be a bit fragile for the physical Premier League. Isco, on the other hand, would be a perfect fit for Britain. His technical ability on the ball combined with his sturdy frame make him a perfect player to help an English side in the middle of the park. The former Malaga man's versatility should appeal to numerous clubs. The gossip columns linked the 2014 and 2016 Champions League winner with moves to Arsenal and Juventus earlier in the summer, but sides like Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City and even Leicester City should pick up the phone and make inquiries if they know what's good for them.
Isco's addition would boost nearly any Premier League side in the center of the park, plain and simple.
As the saying goes, “one man's trash is another man's treasure.” With Real Madrid, even trash can cost over $50 million, but in both these cases, it's still worth it.
Photo (up): Real Madrid's Gareth Bale (11) leaps in celebration after scoring against Real Sociedad on Sunday. (AP)