KARIM BENZEMA and Gareth Bale both scored to help Real Madrid beat AC Milan 3-1 to win the 2018 installment of the Bernabeu Trophy on Saturday. Benzema opened the scoring in the Spanish capital, but he found his quick goal soon answered by former Real striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Bale restored Los Blancos’ lead in first-half stoppage time, while Borja Mayoral added a third late on after tapping in a rebound from a Luka Modric shot.

Seeing club-record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo leave for Juventus this summer would naturally have left many Real fans worried about the squad’s attacking options. Any such worries will have been at least partly dispelled by how well Benzema and Bale played Saturday.

The pair routinely exposed the Milan defense, getting in behind with pace, intelligence and timing.

Bale in particular stood out, thanks in large part to his potent combination with full-back Dani Carvajal on the right flank. The deadly double act combined brilliantly to tee up Benzema for the opener.

Real should feel confident the man who was a world-record transfer back in 2013 can fill Ronaldo’s shoes. Bale has the talent and sense of occasion—proved when he bagged a brace to beat Liverpool in May’s UEFA Champions League final — to carry the scoring load post-Ronaldo.

Staying fit will be crucial for Bale, but if he does, the former Tottenham Hotspur star can count on Benzema helping him shoulder a greater burden. It will have pleased manager Julen Lopetegui to see both strikers regularly trying to connect.

Benzema may have had a second when another slick exchange between Carvajal and Bale allowed the former to whip a low cross just out of reach of the Frenchman’s boot early in the second half. On this evidence, Bale and Benzema will ensure Real remain prolific going forward even without Ronaldo.

Milan general manager Leonardo has been working hard to reshape the squad this summer. Yet for all the moves he’s made, the decision to secure a loan deal for Higuain will prove to be Leonardo’s best move.

Taking the powerhouse center-forward from Serie A rival Juventus for a season at a cost of 16.3 million pounds (US$21 million) already looks like money well spent. Higuain showed Milan fans what the club got for its outlay when he thundered in a strike from distance to equalize Benzema’s opener on four minutes.(SD-Agencies)