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Real Madrid star Gareth Bale believes he is a better player now, having been on the end of fierce criticism for his poor displays last season. The Welshman scored 13 La Liga goals but failed to replicate his form from his first term in the Spanish capital, when he played a pivotal role in helping them to win both the Copa del Rey and Champions League.Bale has bounced back with 15 goals in 18 league appearances despite an injury-disrupted campaign, but his presence has been missed as Madrid have slipped 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona ahead of their crunch trip to the Nou Camp on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 7pm. Bale has scored 15 goals in 18 league appearances so this season Last season I didnt play to anywhere near to my potential, Bale said. It was important for me to keep working hard, to keep fighting. It is difficult playing in a foreign country.Ive felt more settled, more involved in the team this year and I think that has shown in performances on the pitch. Its good to have a bad season, you really do learn a lot about yourself and I feel this season I took (what happened) last season on board.I understand the game a lot more over here and hopefully there is a lot still more to come in the future.Watch Real Madrid in action against Barcelona, live from 7pm on Sky Sports 2 HD, this Saturday nightBy purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: Messi v Ronaldo Bale: Real can still win title Clasico: The key issues WATCH: Classic El Clasicos Clearance Soccer Jerseys . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Soccer Jerseys China . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Soccer Jerseys Outlet .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Gloucestershire 69 for 0 trail Leicestershire 334 (Dexter 136, McKay 55, Cosgrove 54, Norwell 4-72) by 265 runsScorecard Leicestershire have decided against replacing Keith Piper on their coaching staff after the surprise announcement that the former Warwickshire wicketkeeper has left the club by mutual consent.Pipers responsibilities as elite development coach under the direction of elite performance director Andrew McDonald will pass to Pierre de Bruyn, who is currently 2nd XI and assistant skills coach, with academy director Nic Pothas becoming more involved with the 2nd XI.Leicester-born Piper, who was part of Warwickshires treble-winning team in 1994, worked with the county last season and impressed enough to be appointed as McDonalds number two in October but, according to the club, domestic distractions have impacted on his effectiveness this season.Chief executive Wasim Khan said: It is a blow for us to lose Keith because he had done very well but unfortunately he has had some family issues and it just wasnt working out.Leicestershire would have had no shortage of applicants had they decided to advertise for a replacement for Piper, who also broke his ankle earlier this season during warm-ups on the second day of the tour match against the Sri Lankans. Graeme Welch, who recently quit as Derbyshires elite performance director, Chris Adams and Kadeer Ali, the brother of England allrounder Moeen Ali, might have been candidates.But Khan said Leicestershire would not be approaching anyone to fill the vacancy. With the staff we have we feel we can cover for Keiths loss, he said. Pierre and Nic will each move up a level and everyone will pitch in to cover any gaps.Rain restricted play to 45.3 overs on the second day of the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Grace Road but there was long enough for Leicestershire to turn their overnight 252 for 7 to 334 all out, which they would probably feel was a reasonable outcome, givven that the visitors chose to bowl first.ddddddddddddNeil Dexter and Clint McKay, the not out batsmen overnight, extended their eighth-wicket partnership to 86 before Dexter fell on 136 to a fine catch at second slip off Liam Norwell, who then accounted for McKay when the Australian pace bowler, who had hit seven fours and two sixes in an aggressive run-a-ball 55, skied an attempt to launch another maximum.The benefits the pairs experience brought to the innings underlined Khans belief that Leicestershire can be promotion contenders this season only a year after ending a 37-match winless streak and finishing in last place three seasons in a row.We went into this match in joint third place and although the fact that only one team is promoted this season makes it more of a challenge we are ambitious, he said. We feel we have a competitive side this year with some depth in the squad.The new signings - Paul Horton, Neil Dexter and Mark Pettini - have made a difference. They were on a list of targets we identified as having experience but also plenty of cricket in them and we were delighted that they all had belief in our vision and were hungry for the challenge. They were all offered new deals by their own counties but chose to join us.The younger guys on the staff have been through the mill and the confidence among the batsmen in particular had taken some knocks.But with the older players already here we now have a core of about five or six senior members of the squad who are leaders on and off the field.Gloucestershire will resume on 69 without loss. Richard Jones, back at Grace Road for his second spell on loan from Warwickshire, shared the new ball with McKay but neither could make a breakthrough against Chris Dent and Gareth Roderick on a pitch that looked to have settled down as a good batting surface. ' ' '