The warm embrace that Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale shared in Lviv had far more to it than initially met the eye. The Portuguese and Welshman have spoken about things over the last few days, and have patched up their past differences as both players look forward and attempt to give Real Madrid a new identity, to which both will be central.

The president made his feelings known to both players in the wake of the home defeat to Barcelona, and indeed to all members of the 'Los Merengues' squad, but it's Bale and Ronaldo who have taken the bull by the horns. There's a realisation that it's not a case of who is the star of the show out on the pitch, but rather that it's all about producing a response for the greater good of the team.

The ex-Premier League duo took their first steps in this journey against Shakhtar and the embrace between two of Real Madrid's top gems was full of sentiment.

Bale and Ronaldo fully understand that they need each other, in exactly the same way that the team needs them. Their relationship has been a rather distant one up until now. The former Spurs man keeps a low profile, and generally only mixes with Luka Modric, but in recent days Bale has been seen to be spending more time with CR7.

The duo spoke before the game, and during the match they also shared exchanges. As the old adage goes, 'it's good to talk!' and if the duo combine to produce their magic, it certainly will be good news for Rafa Benítez and all concerned at the Bernabéu.