Gareth Bale received a rousing reception from Real Madrid fans when he returned off the bench against Espanyol on Saturday - and just 12 minutes later rewarded them with a goal to seal a 2-0 win for the La Liga leader.
Bale collected an Isco through-ball, darted into the box and lashed in off the far post for the perfect comeback after almost three months out injured.
The Welshman rushed toward the corner flag to celebrate before being congratulated by teammates Toni Kroos and Lucas Vazquez.
Alvaro Morata gave the host the lead in the 33rd minute.
And Bale's 83rd-minute strike kept Real in pole position to claim its first league crown since 2012.
The 27-year-old has collected seven trophies since his world-record move to Madrid from Tottenham in 2013, but the title has evaded him.
"It felt really good to be back after working so hard to recover, especially to come back like this, helping the team with a goal," Bale told Real's television channel.
"The fans were incredible, they applauded me and I felt their appreciation. It was great to be able to help the team out."
Bale endured his longest spell on the sidelines since moving to Spain when he damaged ankle ligaments during the 2-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal on Nov 22. It interrupted his impressive start to the season which yielded seven goals in 16 matches.
He missed out on the team's FIFA Club World Cup triumph in Japan and when it set a Spanish record 40-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
"It's been tough to watch from the sidelines but at least the team kept winning," said Bale.
"We want to win every trophy and now I'll be able to contribute to hopefully doing that," he added.
"I'm going to need a few weeks to be 100 percent, but we'll take each game as it comes."
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said: "I'm delighted that Gareth is back and especially for him. He was so keen to return and feel like a player again."
"I told him to enjoy the game. He is a special player, different to everyone else."
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Real Madrid's Gareth Bale blows a kiss to fans after scoring the second goal in his team's 2-0 La Liga victory over Espanyol at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday. Javier Barbancho / Reuters |
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