Benzema, Bale score in Real Madrid win vs. AC Milan

Sports Desk: Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale both scored to help Real Madrid beat AC Milan 3-1 in the 2018 Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu friendly on Saturday.

Benzema opened the scoring in the Spanish capital, but he found his quick goal soon answered by former Real striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Gareth Bale restored Los Blancos' lead in first-half stoppage time, while Borja Mayoral added a third late on after tapping in a rebound from a Luka Modric shot.

Seeing club-record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo leave for Juventus this summer will naturally have left many Real fans worried about the squad's attacking options. Any such worries will have been at least partly dispelled by how well Benzema and Bale played on Saturday.

The pair routinely exposed the Milan defence, getting in behind with pace, intelligence and timing.

Bale in particular stood out, thanks in large part to his potent combination with full-back Dani Carvajal on the right flank. The deadly double act combined brilliantly to tee up Benzema for the opener.

Real should feel confident the man who was a world-record transfer back in 2013 can fill Ronaldo's shoes. Bale has the talent and sense of occasion—proved when he bagged a brace to beat Liverpool in May's UEFA Champions League final—to carry the scoring load post-Ronaldo.

Staying fit will be crucial for Bale, but if he does, the former Tottenham Hotspur star can count on Benzema helping him shoulder a greater burden. It will have pleased manager Julen Lopetegui to see both strikers regularly trying to connect.

Benzema may have had a second when another slick exchange between Carvajal and Bale allowed the former to whip a low cross just out of reach of the Frenchman's boot early in the second half.

On this evidence, Bale and Benzema will ensure Real remain prolific going forward even without Ronaldo.

Agencies


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