Gareth Bale spoke in midweek about how much he is enjoying playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo – the feeling must be mutual.

Bale has now provided 11 assists in Spain this season in his first campaign — only Cesc Fabregas has been so productive for his team-mates — and his perfect 30 yard pass for Ronaldo helped the Portuguese striker to score the winning goal in a hard-fought win over Malaga.

It was Ronaldo’s 25th goal of the season and he became the first player ever to reach 25 goals or more in five seasons — the Portuguese has done it in his last five campaigns for Madrid.

Just one week from the biggest game of the season so far against Barcelona, Bale and Ronaldo showed what superb form they are in and it was the former Tottenham man who ran Malaga ragged from as early as seventh minute when he should have been awarded a penalty when chopped down by Angeleri after being played in by Benzema.

The BBC trident of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano was broken up on the half-hour when Benzema hobbled off to be replaced by Angel Di Maria but Bale and Ronaldo were combining to trouble Malaga throughout the first half.

Bale made Ronaldo’s first-half goal with a crossfield pass that dropped at the Portuguese player’s feet inside the area. Ronaldo still had three Malaga players between him and Willy Caballero’s goal but he simply shuffled inside and bent his shot around the defenders and past the keeper.

Ronaldo could easily have gone down the tunnel at half-time with a hat-trick heading wide from a spectacular volleyed cross from Di Maria, and shooting wide from another Bale assist dinked to the back post

Ronaldo had also had Madrid’s first shot of the night seeing it scooped up safely by Caballero. Roque Santa Cruz headed over one of Malaga’s best chances and Arambat also went close but Real were in control and that domination continued after the break.

Isco should have got Real’s second but shot over from Di Maria’s pass provoking the home crowd at Malaga, where he played last season, to sing his name.

Having missed so many chances Madrid left themselves open to an equaliser and Arambat drew a save from Diego Lopez.

When Duda went through it was a crude Pepe challenge that brought him to a halt. The Portuguese defender went over the top of the ball and planted his studs on to Duda’s knee. It was Duda who was booked however for protesting that the challenge was not punished.

Isco was taken off and Jese brought on as Real pushed for a second goal and it nearly came from another Bale cross from the byline. The ball went beyond Ronaldo and when Marcelo connected at the back post he was unable to finish past Caballero.

Santa Cruz’ header was then cleared but it dropped to the edge of the area and Sergio Sanchez volleyed over as Malaga showed they were still in the game. Carlo Ancelotti took Luka Modric off on 45 minutes of the second half in desperate attempt to eat up time.

Asier Illaramendi was the player coming on. The midfielder was caught teasing a bull while dressed as batman on his day off last week and he helped Madrid see out the remaining seconds – the goal created by their own dynamic duo had been enough to give them the three points.

Diego Costa made sure Atletico Madrid stayed within three points of its crosstown rivals by scoring his 22nd league goal of the season in a 1-0 win at home over Espanyol.

The first half at Vicente Calderon Stadium was ruled by the defenses and featured a good save each by Atletico’s Courtois Thibaut and Espanyol’s Kiko Casilla.

Diego Costa broke through in the 55th when he received a throughball from David Villa, easily fended off Diego Colotto’s timid attempt to slow him down, and fired the ball past Casilla.

Thibaut Courtois took a hard hit to the head when Jhon Cordoba inadvertently kneed him, but the Belgian recovered and four minutes later in the 77th David Lopez’s bouncing strike struck his head before falling wide of the post.

—Daily Mail