Madrid: It took the best part of eight months and 84 minutes, but on Wednesday night Gareth Bale began to repay the reported world record fee Real Madrid paid to bring him from Tottenham Hotspur last September.
With the clock running down and Madrid tied at 1-1 with eternal rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, Bale set off on a stunning individual run and finish to hand Madrid the trophy for the 19th time.
The goal was the Welshman’s 20th of the season, but until his crowning moment at the Mestalla there was a sense that he had failed to perform when it really mattered in the biggest games.
Afterwards, a beaming Bale appeared before the world’s media happy to admit that winning his first trophy as a Madrid player had been the highlight of his career to date.
“It is a dream come true,” he said.
“It feels amazing. It is my first trophy and hopefully the first of many.”
However, the 24-year-old wasn’t as amazed as most about the run and finish that tilted the game in Madrid’s favour, having scored in similar fashion for Wales against Iceland back in March.
Bale set off down the left wing and despite Marc Bartra pushing him well off the side of the pitch, he galloped through on goal to slot low past Jose Manuel Pinto.
“I actually scored a similar goal for Wales not too long ago when I ran off the pitch. I was just trying to get around him and get on the ball.
“I haven’t seen it back, but I was just focused on trying to get to the ball and score.”
The pages of the Spanish sports pages on Thursday paid homage to Bale’s strength and power as Madrid daily Marca recreated his 58 metre run at an average speed of 27 kilometres an hour on its front page.
Inside he was christened “Gareth Bolt” thanks to a burst of pace reminiscent of Jamaican sprinter and six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.
Madrid’s other sports daily AS led with “Bale brings the bullet”, whilst he was also roundly believed to have won his personal head-to-head with Barca’s Brazilian star Neymar in the battle of last summer’s big money buys.
Bale’s teammates were also in awe as he sped away to mark a memorable night for Los Blancos with World Cup winner Xabi Alonso claiming he had “never seen anything like it.”
And Real assistant boss Paul Clement hailed Bale’s stamina to be able to make such a decisive burst at that stage of the match.
“I think it just shows what an incredible athlete he is,” said the Englishman.
“He has great ability technically but that just shows what immense power and strength he has — so late in the game too. To be 84 minutes in and to produce that kind of run was quite incredible.
“He was a key player tonight and he has just shown what talent he has. He is a world class talent, no question about it.”
Barca boss Gerardo Martino, meanwhile, was left to reflect on a disastrous week as three consecutive defeats in three different competitions means they will almost certainly not win a major trophy for the first time in six years.
“Obviously it is not a happy moment. It has been a very hard week for us, but there is nothing else we can do but look ahead to what remains in the league,” he said.
Without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo much was expected of Bale to fill the World Player of the Year’s shoes and he had the first two chances of the game as he dragged a shot across goal before Javier Mascherano deflected his next effort just wide.
Madrid were soon in front though as a flowing counter-attack involving Isco, Bale, Benzema and finally Di Maria set the Argentine free and his low shot just squeezed under Pinto’s outstretched hand.
Barca pressed for an equaliser for the rest of the half as Cesc Fabregas’ low cross was just too strong for Neymar to connect at the back post, whilst Jordi Alba saw a header comfortably saved by Iker Casillas.
However, Madrid still looked the more dangerous on the break and only a great challenge from Alba prevented Isco from turning home Bale’s cutback to double his side’s advantage.
Lionel Messi was kept quiet for the majority of the game, but he had Barca’s best opening of the half when his snap shot from the edge of the area flew wide.
Bale was first to threaten again at the start of the second half as he waltzed past two weak Barca challenges and fired into the side-netting and then volleyed just over from the edge of the area.
Barca’s first effort on target didn’t come until 25 minutes from time when Bartra sauntered forward from central defence and stung the palms of Iker Casillas.
Bale had the ball in the net soon after but the goal was ruled out for a foul as he challenged with Pinto for a high ball. Within seconds Barca were level as Bartra directed a perfectly weighted header from Xavi’s corner just inside the far post.
Both sides then had chances to win it in normal time, but it was Bale who got the winner as he escaped the attentions of Bartra down Madrid’s left and raced in on goal to slot home his 20th and most important goal of the season.
There was still late drama to come as Neymar latched onto Xavi’s through ball and smacked a shot off the inside of the post with Casillas beaten.
However, there was to be no late reprieve for Barca as they slumped to a third consecutive defeat for the first time in more than 10 years.
