After putting three past tournament dark horse Napoli on Wednesday, Real Madrid quickly turned around and showed just how frightening a prospect they are this season by defeating Espanyol 2-0.
The gap on Barcelona is four points, and Real maintain a game in hand. Cristiano Ronaldo, having just celebrated his 32nd birthday, remains a wizard on the wing. And they said he couldn't dribble anymore.
¡OLÉ! Culebrita macheteada y caño de @Cristiano a @david_lopez6 que produce aplausos por todo el Bernabeu. #RealMadridEspanyol pic.twitter.com/qCcBlGBuse
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 18, 2017
But the best news for Madridistas was the return of Gareth Bale after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ankle injury. Bale scored the kind of goal that’s a staple of his play, screaming down the wing and finishing with style.
¡GOOOL! ¡Así es que se regresa al Bernabeu! @GarethBale11 demuestra que no ha perdido ni una gota de calidad. 2-0 #RealMadridEspanyol pic.twitter.com/eNDw5fRGEO
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 18, 2017
Next up for Real is a trip to Valencia on the 22nd.