Gareth Bale scored his first goal of the New Year just minutes after coming on as a substitute as he helped Real Madrid beat Espanyol 4-2 over the weekend.

Real were leading 3-1 thanks to Karim Benzema’s brace and Sergio Ramos’ 15th minute effort before Bale’s goal sealed victory for Santiago Solari’s side. He scored in the 67th minute after replacing Vinicius Jr in the 64th minute.

Real were put some under pressure towards the end after Raphael Varane was sent off and Espanyol pulled another goal back through Roberto Rosales, but they held on to claim all three points.

It was Bale’s first game for Real after in over three weeks, having missed the fixtures against Sociedad, Betis and Sevilla due to a calf injury.