A full 169 days had passed since Bale's last goal in La Liga. But tonight came the trend break for Gareth Bale who scored both goals when Real Madrid cruised to Villareal.
First, he scored 1-1 on extra time in the first half, then saved a score with his 2-2 in the 86th. His 102nd and 103rd meet for the Spanish club.
But Bale was not allowed to take the hero role, but was expelled in the 94th minute when he went careless in a close match and was awarded his second yellow card - in just one minute.
After three rounds played, Real Madrid are fifth with the same number of points. The Atlético Madrid rival tops with three wins and is alone with a full pot. However, Barcelona has started even worse than Real and has "just" one victory and a total of four points.
In the next round, Levante is waiting at home, but that match will have Gareth Bale follow from the stands.