Real Madrid's Spanish playmaker Isco has defended Gareth Bale after the Wales star was subjected to whistles from some sections of the Bernabéu during their regulation 3-0 win at home to Espanyol.
Bale drew ire from some of his own fans after failing to play in a visibly annoyed Cristiano Ronaldo in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. The former Spurs man instead carried on alone, and eventually failed to make the chance count.
He later turned the jeers to cheers by arrowing a stunning left-footed costless kick into the top right corner, but Isco felt the need to stand by his teammate, who has been linked with a move back to the Premier League despite scoring in cup final wins against Barcelona and Atlético Madrid last season.
“At the end of the day, players make decisions for themselves. Bale didn’t see Cristiano," he attested.
“In the next game, he’ll get another chance. He decided to shoot and missed, but these things happen in football. It was a very quick phase of play."
The Spaniard, 22, was also quick to praise his side's performance ahead of a crunch game with Atlético in the Copa Del Rey, where the champions trail 2-0 from the first leg.
“Today went well. We’re happy with the win and regaining that winning feeling. We hope to continue like this,” he said.
“From the beginning, I’ve felt the warmth of the fans, so I must thank them for that.
“We hadn’t won since we became world champions. We have now regained our confidence for the match against Atlético.
“It will be difficult [against Atleti] but we’ll put all our energy into it. With the support of the fans, I think we can stage the comeback."