WATCH: Gareth Bale rounds the ‘keeper, misses, Ronaldo stands with hand in air

12 minutes.

12 bloody minutes and the stories of last season have started again. Bale underperforming, being selfish. Ronaldo not happy. Welcome to Madrid, Rafa. Real visited Sporting Gijon for their first game of the La Liga campaign and, with Gareth Bale committing his future - short term at least - to the club, he had the perfect opportunity to put last season's miseries behind and start afresh almost immediately. Okay, granted, he had a tight enough angle to work with when he took the ball around the 'keeper but the dearest player in the world and all that... Well, actually, if it was that tight, it does make it more inexcusable that he wouldn't use big Cristiano standing free with his arm up at the other side. It's early, he looks sharp anyway, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. For now. You expect a goal from this though and, as Madrid ended up drawing 0-0, it was all the more crucial.