Real Madrid has always been about Cristiano Ronaldo.

And if the superstar can have his way, then things will remain the same. But Ronaldo is not a man on an island. He is a man in a major city, playing for a major club, playing alongside other superstars. And one of his teammates has the potential to be just as good as the Portuguese superstar.

Gareth Bale headed into the UEFA Super Cup as the main story. It was him, not Ronaldo, who was in the press conference for the club prior to the game. It was Bale who looked in top form during training and was getting all the plaudits for his form. It was Bale who was coming off a terrific year with Los Blancos despite not having normal training during the summer of 2013. And despite a great game in Cardiff City, Bale was second string to Ronaldo.

But can Bale overcome his idol in 2014-15 and turn into Real Madrid's main man for years to come?

Bale is only 25 years only and has had a meteoric rise over the last few years. As recently as the 2011-12 season, Bale was scoring just 12 goals with Tottenham. But then in 2012-13, he exploded with a monster year that saw him put away 21 Premier League goals and 26 goals overall. He was the MVP of English soccer and was the most coveted player in the world.

Madrid snatched him up for a record fee amongst controversy, but Bale failed to deliver in his early games. His weak showing against Barcelona in his first ever Clasico was met with derision and many saw the deal as a bust. But then Bale turned things around and found chemistry that few have managed alongside Ronaldo. His two game-winning goals in the two finals for the team will be historic touchstones for years to come.

Bale's path to stardom has come very differently from Ronaldo. The Portuguese player was a star from his formative years and he came to Madrid as a former Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo was the best player in the world.

But at age 29, the Portuguese superstar faces some issues that could see him displaced. His injury woes could create some issues over the length of the season. Ronaldo was tremendous in the UEFA Super Cup, but there are some concerns over how much of a beating he could take over the long run. He was tremendous to start 2013-14, but was struggling with his form at the very end of the year. He missed the Copa del Rey final and was a ghost during the Champions League final.

Bale plays with a very similar style as Ronaldo and as his recent hairdo indicates, he may be getting influenced by his idol in many other ways, as well. His free kicks were arguably superior to Ronaldo's in 2013-14 and his pace on the flank -- which was evident in the UEFA Super Cup final -- makes him a huge scoring threat. He could have had one or two goals in that game if not for some tremendous goaltending from Beto.

His preseason form has indicated that he could continue to grow statistically while Ronaldo continues to dip. Ronaldo's Spanish League goal tallies have diminished over the last three years. He had 46 tallies in 2011, 34 in 2012-13 and 31 in 2013-14. This indicates that if Ronaldo plays over 30 games, he should tally between 30 and 40 goals. But if the knee continues to be an issue, then he might see less time on the pitch.

In that case, Bale would be relied on heavily to provide the punch. And if he is put in that position, there is no reason to doubt his being able to step up to the plate and become the team's top scorer.

It really comes down to health. If Ronaldo is healthy, then expect him to continue to be the main man. But if that knee continues to act up, then it will be Bale taking the limelight.

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