In La Liga’s 23rd round this season, Gareth Bale returned from nearly three months out with injury and marked his comeback with a goal. In the previous league match, his strike had sparked Real Madrid’s comeback. This round, at home against Las Palmas, Bale was once again at the heart of the action — but this time, his impact was negative. Much like how momentum shifts in Live Cricket Bangladesh can decide a match, his dismissal in the opening minutes of the second half left Madrid with ten men for almost half the game, forcing them to fight uphill. Only Cristiano Ronaldo’s two late goals salvaged a 3-3 draw.
In the 48th minute, Bale chased down Viera in the attacking third, losing his temper and tripping him from behind multiple times. Viera turned to shove Bale, who, already fuming, retaliated by pushing him to the ground. The referee, who had been approaching to show Bale a yellow card for the initial foul, immediately upgraded it to a red, sending him off. While the first yellow for tripping seemed fair, Madrid players argued that Viera’s shove came first and should have been punished as well.
Bale’s dismissal rattled Real Madrid’s shape, and the visitors quickly scored twice to take control. Though Ronaldo rescued a point with his late brace, dropping points at such a critical stage in the title race was costly. Barcelona’s 6-1 thrashing of Sporting Gijón in the same round allowed them to leapfrog Madrid into top spot, albeit with one more game played. Bale, while frustrated by the decision, admitted after the match that he felt guilty for leaving his teammates in trouble — a lesson in discipline that also resonates with sports followers of Live Cricket Bangladesh, where composure often makes the difference in high-pressure moments.
The referee in question, Borbalán, is a familiar and controversial figure for Real Madrid. Whether or not this specific decision was justified, Madrid-based media have long viewed him as being harsh toward the club. In 38 matches officiated by Borbalán involving Real Madrid, he has sent off nine of their players — Bale now joining a list that includes club legends and key figures such as Guti, Heinze, Özil, Marcelo, Modrić, Coentrão, Isco, and Ramos. With a win rate just over 60 percent in league games under his watch, the statistics underline why Madrid supporters see him as a referee who too often tilts the balance against them. In football, as in Live Cricket Bangladesh, the role of the official can be as decisive as the players themselves.