Gareth Bale was whistled by Real Madrid supporters during the Welshman's first appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu in over two years on Saturday. The 32-year-old made just his fifth La Liga appearance of the season for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid are now preparing for their Champions League quarter-final second-leg with Chelsea on Tuesday evening, where they boast a 3-1 advantage after the win at Stamford Bridge recently.
Their preparations were strong, with the La Liga leaders beating Getafe 2-0 thanks to goals from Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez. However, their fans' reception to Bale, who was making a rare appearance in the Spanish capital, could be a concern.
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A section of fans were whistling Bale, who seems not to be the most popular figure in Madrid. He was greeted by some boos from supporters as he made his way onto the pitch late in the second-half.
However, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said the booing of Bale was "understandable", when speaking to the media after the game. Ancelotti said: "I think that our fans are very important.
"They were against PSG [in the Champions League round of 16] and now we have them, that push, on Tuesday. The whistle on Bale is understandable but he is doing well now. He is a serious professional."
Bale was a substitute in Real Madrid's win at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, with Ancelotti looking to hit Chelsea on the break. A hat-trick from Karim Benzema did the damage to the Blues, who replied through Kai Havertz.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, when speaking after the game, insisted the tie is over. When asked if the tie was still alive, the German responded: "No, not at the moment. No.
"We have to find our level back. I don't know where it is since the international break. The first-half is a repetition of the second-half against Brentford in a quarter-final against Real Madrid. So far off our level in absolutely everything the game demands, we cannot expect a result from this kind of performance."
Fortunately for Tuchel, he saw his Chelsea side back to their brilliant best on Saturday afternoon as they thumped Southampton 6-0 at St. Mary's. The Blues boss will be hoping his side are in similar form on Tuesday as they look to progress into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
