Gareth Bale turns on the afterburners to win Copa del Rey for Real Madrid
Welsh star storms down the wing late on in Clasico to leave Barcelona looking at a trophyless season
Gareth Bale raced away to score a stunning late winner as Real Madrid made light of the absence of top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo to beat arch-rivals Barcelona 2-1 to win a riveting Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.
Wales winger Bale, who joined Real for a world record fee in the close season, galloped down the left wing into the penalty area in the 85th minute at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium and slipped the ball superbly between the legs of Barca goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.
Angel Di Maria had put Real ahead in the 11th minute in the 228th meeting between the two sides when he finished off a swift break with a low shot that Pinto could only palm into the net before Marc Bartra headed in from Xavi’s corner in the 68th to make it 1-1.
After Bale struck, Barca had a chance to send the match into extra time in the 89th minute when Neymar, the Catalan club’s marquee signing of the close season, found space in the area but his stabbed effort crashed back off a post when he had the goal at his mercy.