Real Madrid have proven a point to the world – Bale

Gareth Bale believes Real Madrid’s successful Champions League recovery against Wolfsburg has proven to the world what the club is capable of.

The Wales winger played for the full 90 minutes at Santiago Bernabeu as Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick saw Zinedine Zidane’s men win 3-0 on Tuesday to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory, having lost the first leg of the quarter-final in Germany.

Madrid have now reached the semi-finals of the competition for six consecutive seasons and Bale thinks the dramatic fightback has proven a point about the team’s quality and spirit.

“We showed the world what we are capable of,” the 26-year-old told reporters.

“We have shown everyone how strong our team spirit is. It was a tough match, but we were able to play how we wanted.”

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas, meanwhile, was in no doubt the Madrid supporters should be credited for the victory.

“It was a perfect night, just as Cristiano said it would be,” he said. “It was incredible. Feeling the support of the fans spurred us on and pushed us to win. 

“When you step onto the pitch and see how pumped up everyone is, it really inspires you. You could see the belief in their eyes. It is very difficult to resist that feeling and not give it your all. We are delighted with the way the fans got behind us.

“We all worked our socks off from start to finish and we were deserved winners. We are feeling calm and are well aware that we are on the up. We have a fantastic team and can make it difficult for anyone.”