Gareth Bale hat-trick sends Real Madrid into the Club World Cup final
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Your support makes all the difference.Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick in 11 minutes to put Real Madrid in control in their Club World Cup semi-final clash against Kashima Antlers in Abu Dhabi.
The Wales forward opened the scoring just before the break, side-footing home, and then added two more in quick succession early in the second half to put the Spanish giants 3-0 up.
He scored his second after 53 minutes and completed his treble two minutes later with another neat finish to become the third player in Club World Cup history to score a hat-trick.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez also managed the feat.
PA
PREVIEW
Real Madrid vs Kashima Antlers kicks off at 4:30pm on Wednesday 19 December.
Where can I watch it?
The match will not be shown live in the UK, but you can follow the action with The Independent’s live blog.
Which teams are involved?
River Plate, Argentina (Conmebol)
Real Madrid, Spain (Uefa)
Kashima Antlers, Japan (AFC)
Esperance de Tunis, Tunisia (CAF)
Guadalajara, Mexico (Concacaf)
Team Wellington, New Zealand (OFC)
Al Ain, UAE (AFC)
4 minutes
Daigo Nishi and Gareth Bale go up for a ball on the halfway line and the Japanese right back rather clatters through Bale to win it, drawing the whistle from referee Wilton Sampaio.
5 minutes
It is that pair jostling for possession again, with Bale this time adjudged to have fouled his more diminutive dance partner.
7 minutes
Real Madrid look a little under-prepared. They've given the ball away in poor fashion a couple of times already.
8 minutes
Gareth Bale gets the better of Daigo Nishi but is stopped by a tremendous sliding challenge from Jung Seung-Hyun, who must have slid the best part of ten yards to time his intervention perfectly and dispossess the Welshman.
10 minutes
Hiroki Abe and Shoma Doi each find their paths blocked trying to make forays into the Real Madrid area.
Kashima have started nicely. Their 4-4-2 is well-balanced and they are clearly competent in possession.
13 minutes
The Antlers do need to be careful not to overplay in their final third. They give the ball away in that area here, but Dani Carvajal wastes the movement with an overhit cross.
There were few white shirts in support of the right back, anyway, but a player of his quality should have produced something better.
15 minutes
Marcelo is already playing as a virtual left-midfielder, and here he attempts to unfurl a long-range effort.
It only succeeds in stinging the thigh of a Kashima defender, but you sense the Brazilian may have a few more chances as the game progresses.
17 minutes
Karim Benzema is also pulling out to the left-hand side and working an overload of Daigo Nishi, allowing Gareth Bale to break beyond the right back.
Bale can't find a teammate with his cross.
Gareth Bale and Daigo Nishi have done battle several times in the early stages of this Club World Cup semi-final.
20 minutes
Serginho runs beyond Raphael Varane, dragging the Frenchman with him across to the right side of the Real Madrid box.
The Brazilian tries to surprise Thibaut Courtois with an early shot from a relatively acute angle, but his right-footed drive is always rising and Courtois watches it sail over his crossbar.
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