The Welshman enjoyed his best week in Spain since his record transfer from Tottenham, contributing two goals and four assists against Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano
Two months into his Spanish adventure, Gareth Bale understands one thing loud and clear.
Wherever he goes with Real Madrid, somebody will remind him how his heavy pricetag marks him out. Warming up before kick-off on Saturday in Vallecas, home of Rayo Vallecano, the lowest-budget club in Spain's top tier, Bale was welcomed by a banner, displayed by the home fans. "We're poor," it read, "but we're proud, and we've got balls like fists."
Suburban Vallecas and the city-centre Santiago Bernabéu arena stand barely seven miles apart. Yet Real and Rayo are first and third-world, economically.
The combined cost to Madrid in transfer fees of the front three in their line-up, Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo stretches towards £220 million. That's about 32 years' worth of Rayo's current annual budget.
Rayo are the club who practically bit off the hands of Swansea City last year, when offered £2 million for their then top goalscorer, Michu; a club where salaries for many players went unpaid for months and months during Michu's last season there; where the idea of a ground constructed with spectators behind both goals is a luxury postponed until deep into never-neverland.