Gareth Bale’s absence was keenly felt by the Bernabeu crowd during the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. The former Tottenham striker was sidelined due to an ongoing left calf injury, which he has not fully recovered from. The decision to rest Bale was made by the technical staff in order to prevent any further aggravation of his injury, as reported by Cadena Ser.
Carlo Ancelotti had to once again manage without his summer signing, relying instead on Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the attacking line for Real Madrid.
The starting lineups for both teams were as follows:
Real Madrid: Casillas – Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Coentrao – Xabi, Modric, Di Maria – Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesé, Benzema.
Atletico Madrid: Courtois – Juanfran, Miranda, Godin – Insua, Gabi, Koke, Arda Turan, Diego, Raul Garcia – Diego Costa.
