The former Tottenham forward, who scored 22 goals in 44 games in his first season at the club - including strikes that won the Copa del Rey and Champions League final - has had to put up with whistles in his own stadium and a fan poll that had 40 per cent of supporters calling for him to be dropped in recent weeks.

When he put Real Madrid ahead on 18 minutes in the 2-0 win over Levante on Sunday night he made sure he left off some steam, covering his ears as he ran to the corner to give the flag a celebratory kick. 

It was his first goal in nine games but with 16 in 38 this season he remains on course to match last year's haul and the singling out from those jeering supporters and some Madrid-based media had clearly got to him.

The only player who did not seem to share his joy was Cristiano Ronaldo. It was his failed bicycle kick that was cleared off the line and came back out for Bale to volley into the top corner.

Ronaldo could be seen throwing his arms up in the air at his missed effort both before and after Bale had buried the rebound. It was hardly the action of a man playing solely for his team.

The Welshman scored again five minutes before the break, diverting a Ronaldo shot past Diego Marino. Ronaldo's effort looked as if it was going wide and although Bale's touch was slight it was necessary and he was awarded the goal.

Bale's first half performance will have silenced those calls for him to be left out of the Real Madrid team. The jeers that have followed him around the pitch in recent weeks could even be heard when his name was read out before this win - although those for rested goalkeeper Iker Casillas and coach Carlo Ancelotti were more noticeable.

Bale almost scored inside two minutes, taking a long ball forward down on his chest and volleying it across the face of goal.

He looked motivated and buoyed by the return of Luka Modric in midfield - making his first start for over three months. 

It was a Modric shot that Marino pushed out to the edge of the six-yard box that Karim Benzema turned in moments later but all three Real Madrid forwards - Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo - were offside.

Modric then took a corner won by Bale and planted it on the Welshman's head only for the effort to go just wide. Bale was everywhere in the first 45 minutes, even popping up on the left and drilling the perfect cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Ronaldo somehow managed to fail to get enough on the centre and sent it wide.

Real Madrid had former Levante keeper Keylor Navas playing against his old team. Casillas will return for next week's visit to the Camp Nou. The stand-in keeper was a spectator for the most part as Real Madrid dominated and Benzema could have made it three in spectacular fashion after the break.

He flicked the ball onto the crossbar with a volley from a Ronaldo cross from the right and then caught the rebound again on the volley only to send it tamely wide.

Ronaldo also shot straight at Marino five minutes from time and skied an effort from the edge of the six-yard box in injury time. It wasn't his night but it had been Madrid's.

They moved to within a point of Barcelona with the victory. It brings to an end a run of two defeats and a draw and sets them, and Bale, up perfectly for next week's potentially season-deciding Clasico.

(dailymail.co.uk)