Real Madrid recorded a convincing 3-1 win at Real Sociedad, with Gareth Bale capping the victory with a fine second-half finish. The victory hauls Zinedine Zidane’s side back closer to La Liga leaders, Barcelona, who made it four straight league victories this season after winning 2-1 at Getafe on Saturday.

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Madrid faced a tricky clash against an in-form side with Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo suspended and Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos injured but after disappointing consecutive league draws they made light work of Eusebio Sacristan’s men.

Defeat for Sociedad ended their unbeaten start to the campaign, after winning their opening three matches.

The exciting 20-year-old, Borja Mayoral, opened the scoring before Kévin Rodrigues pulled the hosts level in San Sebastián. But Real regained the lead when Rodrigues, the Sociedad defender, put the ball past his own goalkeeper after trying to block Mayoral’s cross from the right, before Bale completed the win, lifting the ball over Gerónimo Rulli after sprinting on to Isco’s long ball downfield. Madrid’s Marco Asensio had a goal disallowed late on but by then they had wrapped up the three points.

“I’m very happy for Borja Mayoral and Bale; they needed that,” Dani Carvajal, the Real Madrid defender, told Movistar. “We have a big squad and Mayoral is capable of playing and performing at the highest level, as he showed in this game.”

Madrid have scored in every game since beating Sociedad 1-0 in April 2016 at Anoeta.

“You have to congratulate the players,” said Zidane, who took over at Madrid in January 2016. “It’s the players who are the protagonists. They’re the ones that run; they’re the ones that fight. It’s 73 games but today the most important thing was to win.”