Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale was thrilled to mark his return to the first team with a goal as Zinedine Zidane's men demolished Celta Vigo 7-1 at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

The Wales international has been out of action since Jan. 17, missing eight matches with a calf problem, but came off the bench in the second half and netted with a low finish in the 81st minute.

Bale relished being back on the pitch and feels a faster playing style was the key to a masterful Madrid performance in which teammate Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show by netting four times.

"It's great to return in this way and to score," the 26-year-old told reporters. "I have spent four days training with my teammates — now I have to train well and keep improving.

"It's nice to be back and to score, but the most important thing was taking all three points. In the dressing room we have talked about playing a faster style so that we can do more damage to our opponents. The most important thing was being able to continue building up our confidence and taking three points from the game. We want to go into our games hand in hand with the fans — with them we hope to achieve great things."

Real Madrid, which is third in La Liga, hosts Roma on Tuesday in the second leg of a Champions League round-of-16 tie, holding a 2-0 aggregate lead from the first match.