Real Madrid fans have reasons to keep their fingers crossed ahead of Sunday's match against Barcelona, especially when it comes to those who could miss the game through injury.
While some supporters may be more concerned about the absences of Pepe and Raphael Varane, a strange coincidence has taken place this season whenever Gareth Bale can't perform for Los Blancos.
The Welshman, known by fans around the world due to his speed and skills, is also known to be injury-prone, which some hint as the reason why Bale hasn't reached a superstar status. His absences with Los Blancos this season have been more "expensive" than ever, and here are the reasons to our claim.
This season, Real Madrid has only lost three games in all competitions. Two of them came in La Liga, while the other one ended up being crucial for their Copa del Rey elimination against Celta. The common factor? Bale wasn't able to play neither of those games due to his recovery after a surgery.
Bale's injury came soon after Real Madrid secured their spot in the UCL Round of 16.
Sevilla 2-1 Real Madrid (La Liga)
This loss ended Real Madrid's unbeaten streak, and had Sergio Ramos as the main protagonist. An own goal by the center back opened the gate for Los Hispalenses' comeback, which was capped by Stevan Jovetic's goal following a loose ball provoked by Ramos.
Real Madrid 1-2 Celta Vigo (Copa del Rey)
Three days after their first loss of the season, Los Blancos dropped another game. This time, Celta took advantage of Real Madrid's defensive woes and defeated them with a 2-1 score. Marcelo gave Zidane's men some hope, but it only took one minute for Celta to recover a lead they wouldn't lose.
Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid (La Liga)
Two goals before the 10-minute mark were enough for Los Naranjeros to beat Real Madrid, who seemed to have a jinx with the 2-1 scoreline. Cristiano Ronaldo tried to get Los Blancos back in the game, but Zidane's lack of options from the bench caused Real Madrid to drop their third match in five weeks.
Curiously enough, the first game Bale saw from the stands was the first Clásico of this season. Will he end up missing out both?
