Gareth Bale gives Wales the perfect start with beauty of a free-kick

It was all so predictable wasn't it?

10 minutes played in Bordeaux and after surviving a rather hairy moment with Marek Hamšík at the other end, Wales get themselves a free-kick not far away from the Slovakia box. There was never any doubt who was going to take it. Gareth Bale, fresh from securing his second Champions League title with Real Madrid a couple of weeks ago, put the ball down. Up he stepped, guiding the ball over the Slovakian wall with his left foot and beyond the wrong-footed goalkeeper. Weirdly enough, Gareth Bale's first goal for his country came from a direct free-kick almost a decade ago in Ocotber 2006. The opponents? Slovakia. After so, so long without major tournament football, this is the perfect start for the Welsh. Just look what it meant to the Wales team... And just look what it meant to the Welsh fans in the stadium... https://twitter.com/talkingbaws/status/741668025234030592 Unsurprisngly, Twitter errupted: https://twitter.com/SpencerOwen/status/741664354098159616 https://twitter.com/LeKingOfBanter/status/741670479174459392 https://twitter.com/welcomebrand/status/741664623280181248 The BBC Wales Twitter account changed its name in tribute: For others, it was an excuse to bring back the fact that one of the greatest attacking players in world football was once used in a defensive role. https://twitter.com/priceyd101/status/741666049725190144 And then there was the ones that were more concerned with moaning about the terrible goalkeeping by the Slovakian goalkeeper. https://twitter.com/Callum_SR/status/741664150502420480 https://twitter.com/RoyNemer/status/741664269868105728