Zidane's got Bale's back

NAPLES, Italy - Zinedine Zidane refused to criticize Gareth Bale as 11-time winner Real Madrid recovered from its dismal first half to end Napoli's Champions League quarterfinal hopes with a clinical 3-1 win at San Paolo stadium on Tuesday.

Bale returned to Real's starting lineup alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the second leg of the last-16 clash after missing a 4-1 La Liga win at Eibar last weekend through suspension.

But the Welshman was just one of several Real players left in the shadows by a spirited Napoli side bent on overcoming a 3-1 first-leg deficit to the Spanish giant.