Gareth Bale scored in his return to the pitch after nearly three months out of action recovering from an ankle injury that required surgery. Bale went on in the 71st minute of Madrid's home match against Espanyol, and 12 minutes later he scored the second goal. The winger appeared fully fit as he raced down the left flank on a counterattack, met Francisco "Isco" Alarcon's pass, and used his left foot to slot the ball in off the far post. The win kept Zinedine Zidane's side at the top of the league, four points clear of Barcelona and with two matches in hand. Bale required surgery on his right ankle after hurting it on November 22 in the Champions League.

Source: India Today February 18, 2017 18:11 UTC