Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Gareth Bale: Comparing Their 2015-16 Real Madrid Stats
By Tim Collins, Featured Columnist
GONZALO ARROYO/Getty Images
Ever since his world-record transfer to Real Madrid in 2013,Gareth Bale has been viewed as the heir to Cristiano Ronaldoat the Bernabeu.
For Bale, such expectation has proved burdensome, its basis more stylistic than anything: Both men are roaming wingers, both are supreme athletes and both have power-based games. Yet, until now, there's been no real comparison in terms of output, Bale having largely lived in the shadow of Ronaldo during his first two seasons in the Spanish capital, the second of which was incredibly tumultuous.
Now, though, the comparisons are legitimate. Prioritised by former manager Rafa Benitez in the early part of the current season, Bale has grown in stature and influence at Real Madrid in the last six months, with his fine form continuing under new boss Zinedine Zidane.
So how do Bale and Ronaldo compare now? How do their statistics stack up in 2015-16?
Below, we take a look.
Note: Only statistics from La Liga have been compared here, given that Bale's injury absence earlier this season restricted him to just 102 minutes of playing time in the Champions League group stage (Ronaldo completed more than 500), rendering his and Ronaldo's statistics in that competition unfit for comparison.
Basic Data
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The sense that Bale has gone to another level this season at Real Madrid is backed up by the raw facts.
In his debut season at the club, the Welshman tallied 15 goals and 12 assists in La Liga, before seeing those numbers drop to 13 and nine respectively in a troubled campaign in 2014-15.
But in the current season, he's on track to smash those previous marks.
| Ronaldo | Bale | |
| Starts | 20 | 14 |
| Substitute Appearances | 0 | 1 |
| Minutes | 1,800 | 1,164 |
| Goals | 16 | 13 |
| Assists | 7 | 8 |
| Yellow/Red | 2/0 | 1/0 |
| Passing Accuracy (%) | 80.5 | 80.0 |
| Key Passes per Game | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| Dribbles per Game | 1.1 | 1.7 |
WhoScored.com
Having raced to 13 goals and eight assists in the league in 2015-16, Bale is on course to double his tallies from last season if he's able to shrug aside the consistent calf injuries that have interrupted his impressive form.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has seen his scoring rate in the league slow down considerably this season. With 16 goals from 20 appearances, the Portuguese is 12 goals behind where he was at this stage last term, when he stormed to 28 goals in his side's opening 20 games as Madrid went on a record-breaking run under Carlo Ancelotti.
Also notable in the table above are Bale's higher marks for dribbles and key passes. Having operated in a roaming role this season, the Welshman has been one of Madrid's chief creators as well as scorers, using his pace to cover the flanks and go past defenders before delivering balls into the box.
The discrepancies between Ronaldo and Bale in this respect aren't surprising, either. The Portuguese's current statistics in key passes and dribbles continue a trend and represent the lowest of his Real Madrid career, indicative of his gradual evolution from a rampant winger to deadly finisher operating closer to goal.
Advanced Data: Scoring and Shooting Breakdown
CURTO DE LA TORRE/Getty Images
The most striking thing when comparing the statistics of Ronaldo and Bale this season is the discrepancy in efficiency.
Whereas last term Ronaldo was ruthlessly efficient and Bale was often wasteful, in 2015-16 the roles have reversed somewhat.
To date, the three-time Ballon d'Or winner has needed 131 shots in La Liga to reach 16 goals, per WhoScored.com. To reach 13, Bale has needed just 50, his hat-trick against Deportivo La Coruna reflective of that efficiency. Four shots, three goals.
"All rise for King Bale," said an enamoured Marca afterward.
| Ronaldo | Bale | |
| Shots per Game | 6.6 | 3.3 |
| Shots per Goal | 8.2 | 3.8 |
| Shooting Accuracy (%) | 47.0 | 55.0 |
| Minutes per Goal | 112.5 | 89.5 |
| Right-Foot Goals | 10 | 1 |
| Left-Foot Goals | 4 | 5 |
| Headed Goals | 2 | 7 |
| Goals in Open Play | 11 | 9 |
| Goals at Set Pieces | 1 | 4 |
| Penalties | 4 | 0 |
WhoScored.com and Squawka
Currently getting his goals at a rate of one every 89.5 minutes, Bale is also scoring at a faster clip than every player in the league bar team-mate Karim Benzema, whose mightily impressive season is seeing the Frenchman collect his at a rate of one every 68.1.
At one every 112.5, Ronaldo sits ninth in the league in that respect.
Playing a key role in Bale's increased efficiency and threat has been the obvious improvement in his aerial game.
Last summer, we noted that Bale's strength in the air (or lack thereof) was an area that needed addressing, his tally of headed goals in his first two seasons at Madrid too low for a player of his size, explosiveness and leaping ability. Pleasingly, he has addressed it.
Already, Bale has seven headed goals in the league this season—more than in his previous two seasons combined—and has suddenly become a potent weapon in the box to direct crosses and set pieces to.
In contrast, Ronaldo has been less prolific with his head in 2015-16, just two of his league goals coming in the air. Last season, 12 of his 48 did.
Ronald, of course, remains at or near the game's pinnacle, but with his strongest form since joining Real Madrid, Bale is now closing the gap.
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