Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti defends Gareth Bale from 'selfish' accusations

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has defended Gareth Bale after the Welshman was accused of being "selfish" by the Spanish press, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema criticised him during Los Blancos' 2-1 defeat at Valencia.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star failed to take a chance to make the score 2-0 early in the second half by opting to go alone rather than pass to Benzema, who was free to strike close to the penalty spot.

Spanish pundits heavily criticised Bale for his individualism, along with Ronaldo and Benzema, while Ancelotti also appeared to condemn the forward's attitude when he replace Bale with youngster Jese in the 71st minute of the game.

However, the Real Madrid boss has backed his player, claiming Bale made the right choice by not passing the ball to Benzema.

"I have seen the play and it was not easy to pass the ball, it was very complicated," the manager said, according to AS, during the press conference ahead of the Copa del Rey game against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday 7 January.

"He had no room and he tried to shoot. There is no need to talk about Bale. He knows very well when he needs to pass but he took the right decision."

Ancelotti confirmed the ex-Tottenham star will start the game at the Vicente Calderon and he refused to accept the Wales international is struggling at the Santiago Bernabeu due to the pressure of his £86m move.

He said: "Tomorrow clearly he is going to play. I do not think Bale is selfish. If he has pressure, it is positive because he has scored goals in the finals he has played in."

Meanwhile, speaking about the Atlético game, he added: "We know them very well.

"We have played against them many times and often this season. They are a tough team because they make things difficult for you and they are well organised. We have always tried our best to win. They are one of the best teams in Europe.

"The approach is always to play with our own identity, our philosophy and out qualities. Everyone has their own idea of football. I don't think there is any news regarding this. Atlético will prepare for the game with intensity and so will we."