Madrid held at Villarreal before PSG; Bale makes rare start

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The only positive that Real Madrid could take away from its scoreless draw with Villarreal on Saturday was Gareth Bale, whose good form belied his return to the pitch after more than five months on the sidelines.

The stalemate left Madrid four points clear of second-placed Sevilla as the Spanish league leader continues to struggle without injured striker Karim Benzema, and with their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain just three days away.

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid at the Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, second left, duels for the ball with Villarreal's Vicente Iborra during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid at the Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Bale had not played for Madrid since he made three appearances in August. Then a series of injuries and a COVID-19 infection ensured he fell out of Carlo Ancelotti’s rotation in favor of younger players such as Vinícius Júnior and Marco Asensio. During that period, however, he did play three World Cup qualifiers for Wales, twice in September and once in November.

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With Benzema recovering from a left hamstring pull, Ancelotti gave Bale the nod to play as his striker. Bale needed almost the entire first half to finally get involved, but once he did, he showed the same ability he always had to produce scoring chances.

"(Bale) had his opportunity and he made the most of it. He could