Madrid - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has defended under-fire midfielder Gareth Bale, saying the Welshman had paid the price for the poor form of his team mates, but had improved his link-up play in a difficult season.
Bale has scored just three goals in his last 19 games and has faced criticism for not being a team player during a campaign where Real are set to miss out on all major trophies.
He has not made the same impact as he did in his first year in Spain where he scored important goals to help Real win the Champions League and the King's Cup.
Real's Champions League elimination by Juventus on Wednesday and their King's Cup defeat to Atletico Madrid in January have ensured their slender hopes of silverware lie in La Liga where they trail Barcelona by four points with two matches remaining.
They play Espanyol away on Sunday at the same time as Barcelona face a difficult away clash against Atletico Madrid.
Bale was whistled by the home crowd against Juventus after he failed to convert his second-half chances.
He has struggled to adapt to the typical Spanish short passing game, while his pace and direct running have proved less effective in La Liga than in the Premier League.
Ancelotti, however, feels that he has done well considering that he has been hampered by injuries.
“He has had good moments when the team was in form and suffered when the team has played badly,” the Italian coach told a news conference.
“It is difficult to evaluate the season of a player who has had injuries but while there have been a few small issues he has progressed and become more used to playing with the team.”
There are question marks over Ancelotti's future following a difficult campaign.
“I am disappointed because I think that the team deserved to play another final,” he said. “We have to respect what happens on the pitch and that another team will play the (Champions League) final.
“We have battled and we are still fighting in La Liga. We were close to reaching the final of the Champions League and it is during a season when we have had a lot of injuries.”
Reuters