Everyone seemed pleased when Real Madrid sealed the deal to loan Gareth Bale to Tottenham this weekend. It was a transfer that all parts wanted to make happen Bale wasn't happy in Madrid and the club didn't plan on using him. But a day after the Wales forward officially returned to the Premier League, Madrid struggled in attack in its Spanish league opener, sparking questions about the club's moves in the offseason.

The defending champions were held to a 0-0 draw by Real Sociedad on Sunday, when the focus was on the team's attacking struggles. "In general, we did well. The only thing missing was the goal and a bit of a killer instinct up top, particularly when the chances came our way," Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. "Ultimately we struggled to create chances, particularly in the second half. In the first half, we had three opportunities but lacked that killer instinct." Madrid wasn't expected to bring in anybody else to add that killer instinct or help make up for the absence of Bale, who had been one of the team's top names even though he wasn't much of a factor in Zidane's squad recently.