HIS Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to find the net with 36 free-kicks in major tournaments but Gareth Bale has two goals from three attempts and he’s aiming to fire Wales into the Euro 2016 knockout stages tonight.

Ronaldo missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed on Saturday as Portugal were held by Austria but Bale is on course to break the record for most free-kick goals at the Euros.

French legends Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane and Germany’s Thomas Hassler also have two and Bale will be looking to surge clear of that illustrious company against Russia this evening.

Wales need a win or a draw in Toulouse to progress and, having netted the openers against Slovakia and England already, Bale is targeting his next victim – Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.

“I can definitely do better [in open play] but the free-kicks are not going too bad,” said the Welsh Galactico.

“I put a lot of practice in. Even now after training I’m there for an extra 10 or 15 minutes hitting balls and doing what I normally do when I’m at Madrid. Nothing changes – I just carry on my routine.

“It depends where I am on the pitch and what side,” he added.

“I hit it slightly different depending where the ball is and how close it is.

“You always stand over them and think ‘please just go in’ and when they do it’s nice to see the hard work pay off and it’s great to see two go in so far.

“I suppose the last one could count for something with the goal difference but the most important thing for me is to win games for the team, no matter who scores.”

Asked if he takes tips from Ronaldo, Bale said: “No, not really. We obviously practice together in training but on different sides. I do it my way. I like my own style.”

Bale’s first goal at international level was a free-kick against Slovakia as a 17-year-old in 2006 but he has changed his technique since then.

He’s now an expert at the ‘knuckleball’ – aiming to hit the sweet spot just above the equator of the ball with his big toe.

This produces a shot that reaches its maximum height as it passes over the wall, before dipping sharply.

“I’ve always enjoyed taking them,” said Bale. “I used to curl them but I stared a different technique because I found it more exciting.

“I found the curl a bit boring, I’m not going to lie.

“With this style of free-kicks the ball can go anywhere – up or down. It can go 50 yards over the bar but then it can look even better when it goes in.

“And when you do hit this ball nicely it does move a lot so you do feel for the keepers a bit but it’s good for us.”

South Wales Argus: