Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has defended Gareth Bale following Real Madrid's Champions League exit.

The Welsh winger has been hounded in the press in recent times and it was no different on Wednesday night when he missed a few golden opportunities in Madrid's 1-1 draw with Juventus which saw them crash out at the semi-final stage 3-2 on aggregate.

Bale has been criticised for being too 'passive' and failing to demand the ball from his teammates but Pochettino feels the former Spurs superstar should not be alone in being lambasted.

"I think Gareth Bale is not the only player responsible for what's happening at Madrid. I think Bale is an unbelievable player but sometimes it's not easy to score 30 or 40 goals every season," said the Argentine.

"It's difficult for him because maybe the expectation at Real Madrid is different than at another club.

"It's not easy to play for Real Madrid, especially now they have no opportunities to win the league, the Champions League or the Copa Del Rey."

Former Espanyol and Paris Saint-Germain defender Pochettino added: "Bale is a player that needs to feel that the team plays for him, like Ronaldo or Messi. They are a type of player that needs to feel confident and play the way that they want to play.

"Sometimes that's not easy. At Real Madrid you have a lot of big stars and it isn't easy to settle from the first moment."