Wales talisman Gareth Bale celebrated his 250th appearance for Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory over Eibar.
The 30-year-old played 29 minutes of the clash as Zinedine Zidane’s men returned to LaLiga action for the first time in three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He replaced Rodrygo as a second-half substitute to reach the milestone at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano – Madrid’s temporary home with the Santiago Bernabeu currently undergoing renovation.
Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo scored first-half goals to help Zidane’s men cut the gap on league leaders Barcelona to two points.
While Bale was presented with a commemorative jersey from Madrid president Florentino Perez after the match.
It was his first league appearance for Los Blancos since their 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on February 16.
Bale, who joined Madrid from Tottenham for a then-world record fee of £86m in 2013, has scored 105 goals during his time in the Spanish capital.
The Welshman has won 15 trophies since his arrival seven years ago, including four Champions Leagues and a La Liga title.
He also netted one of the greatest Champions League final goals against Liverpool in 2018 to help the club lift the trophy for the 13th time.
But he has come under fierce criticism from Madrid fans in recent seasons and has even been subject to booing from his own supporters.
The 84-capped international endured a difficult campaign last season and it looked as though he would depart for the Chinese Super League in the summer, before Madrid pulled the plug at the 11th hour.
There is still, however, growing speculation over his future with the Spanish giants amid suggestions that he could make a return to the Premier League.
Bale was set to play in his second consecutive European Championship finals with Wales this month, but the tournament was pushed back until 2021 due to the pandemic.
[Featured image: Lewis Mitchell]
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