Gareth Bale made a welcome return to form with his 11-minute hat trick that tore apart Kashima Antlers and drove Real Madrid to the Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2018 final against Al Ain at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
The Welshman had failed to score in 10 La Liga matches and ended the barren run only last week with a strike against bottom-placed Huesca.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus, Bale hasn't been able to make good with his new position as 'Los Blancos' talisman. Making things worse, his recurring injuries have marred his career at Real.
Bale is now relieved to have scored goals and taken his team to the final.
"This is an important win. We knew it would be a difficult game against a team which has done well at their own level. It was great to score three goals but the important thing is to get my team into the final. We have the chance to win another trophy. I'm just feeling glad to be in the final."
When asked about his position, Bale said he is happy to fit into any role that coach Santiago Solari deems apt.
"I don't have to answer to anyone. I just play my football and do my best for the team. I've played down the left wing, down the right and through the middle throughout my career. I'm comfortable wherever the coach sees fit. It was a tough game but all said and done we made it to the final."
Bale doesn't know much about the local finalist Al Ain but said the players were upbeat about a third consecutive and overall fourth Club World Cup.
"It's a trophy that I personally want to win. It means a great deal to the club. We haven't thought about the opposition at the moment. We will analyse them and get ready for the game. We know it will be a difficult one but we want to win and lift the trophy," Bale added.
By Ashwani Kumar
