As Gareth Bale struck home at the Santiago Bernabeu against Levante on Sunday for Real Madrid, it was the reaction from Cristiano Ronaldo that seized the headlines.
Once the Welshman put the ball in the back of the net, Ronaldo, who had seen his acrobatic shot saved off of the line moments earlier, threw his left arm in the air. The reaction was not out of joy or relief, it was out of frustration and contempt.
It is not difficult to determine where that frustration lies. For starters, his dip in form in La Liga has left the Portugeuse mega-star massively disappointed in himself. In fact, in November, Ronaldo had 20 goals to Messi's 7. Fast forward 4 months and Messi has overtaken Ronaldo as top goalscorer. That would irritate any forward.
However, another possible explanation is the more worrying one if you are Carlo Ancelotti. It may just be that the 3-time Ballon d'Or winner feels THREATENED by Gareth Bale.
I know it is a strange scenario considering how established and prestiged Ronaldo is at this stage in his career. However, considering the recent drop off in form of Ronaldo, it may be that he views Bale, a player who plays very similar to Ronaldo in a lot of ways, as competition which he doesn't want at Real Madrid.
Since his arrival at the Spanish club in 2009, Ronaldo has been the measuring stick. He is the unrivalled king of the Bernabeu and will be for a VERY long time. Despite all of this, it could be that Ronaldo is threatened by the world's most expensive player in Gareth Bale.
What made his reaction so strange was that, considering how much pressure and criticism that Bale has been given by the press and Madrid faithful, it would have been thought that Ronaldo would have been extremely pleased for Bale getting the goals that he did. Unfortunately, his reaction contradicts that viewpoint.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to have ever graced a football pitch. Unfortunately, his actions against Levante will call into question his attitude towards his teammates and Real Madrid in general.