Benitez now plays with Bale on the left

The coach placed the Welshman on the side that Cristiano had been occupying since 2009, when he joined Madrid. It was in the first small game of the tour, during the morning training. Benitez mixed (theoretical) starters and substitutes. Cristiano and Benzema were on the 'rival' team. The Portuguese appeared all over the attack, without a fixed position and with a lot of mobility. What has not been revealed is how the three will play together. We will have to wait.

Benitez started implementing his idea for Bale

to switch him to his natural side. Something he already mentioned when he traveled to Cardiff to see him in person on June 12. The Welshman believes that his ideal position is behind the number nine, with more freedom, but he accepted his new coach's plan with enthusiasm. Benitez believes that Bale can contribute more to the team from the left in the 4-2-3-1 formation. In this position, he limits his options to cutting inside and shooting, but he can create danger with more precise crosses or associations with his teammates to move towards the goal. The proof that he can improve his performance on the left is his performance in the Copa del Mestalla final (2014) against Barcelona. His sprint down the left side led to the first title of the Ancelotti era.

The small game was organized in the final part of the training. The session began with a couple of talks from Benitez (before and after warm-up) and with possession, pressure, and positional exercises: on one side the defenders, and on the other, the attackers. The first task of the day ended in the gym.

Danilo

The only one who did not train at the same pace in the first session was Danilo. The Brazilian fullback did the warm-up with his teammates, but then worked with Eduardo Parra (one of the new team's physical therapists) to continue strengthening the ankle he injured with Brazil last month.

The afternoon training was marked by rain. Danilo completed the 20-minute open session with the team in a session where Benitez focused on intense physical work with the ball. There was only a slight scare when, in a rondo, Pepe hit Cristiano's foot while disputing a ball. It turned out to be nothing. The team will have double training sessions today.