- Gareth Bale was taken off at half-time as Real Madrid were down 2-0 to Juventus
- The Welshman has been left very unhappy at not playing in the club’s big games
- He failed to start either match against PSG or the first quarter-final tie in Turin
- Isco, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio have shown Zidane can change his mind
Gareth Bale still believes there is no better place for him to be than at Real Madrid despite being left very upset by the half-time hook in the club’s quarter-final over Juventus.
He could find himself in his fourth European Cup final in five years next month in Kiev but being taken off after 45 minutes on Wednesday was another blow to his relationship with Zinedine Zidane after he started him in neither the first leg in Turin nor the two games against Paris Saint-Germain.
The player has been courted by big Premier League clubs in each of his last three summers but has rejected the advances.
Gareth Bale was left very unhappy after being hauled off at half-time against Juventus
Real Madrid were trailing 2-0 at the interval as Zinedine Zidane made a double switch
Bale thinks he is in the right place and could reach his third successive Champions League final
Sportsmail understands that is still the case although relations with Zidane nose-dived after the first leg against PSG when Bale expected to start the game having been left out of league matches leading up to the match and then found himself on the bench. They have not recovered since.
He remains confident in his own ability to get back into the team and coach Zidane has shown in the past that he does not hold grudges or close the door on players.
Isco, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio are all in the ascendancy with him at the moment but all were out of the coach’s plans earlier in the season.
Team-mates such as Isco (left) and Marco Asensio have proven you can turn fortunes around
Zidane has not held grudges against players and will allow his stars to turn their form around
Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro was also taken off at half time against Juventus.
Zidane said after the game that neither player was to blame for the brutal half-time substitution.
The player hopes performances between now and the end of the season will still see him play his part in Europe where the club has the chance to win an unprecedented Champions League treble.
Madrid’s home capitulation against Juventus left other victims in its wake.
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas’ mistake for the third Juve goal has reopened the debate about whether Madrid should sign a Galatico goalkeeper in the summer instead of a youngster who would spend a season deputising for the Costa Rican.
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