PHOTO: Cristiano Ronaldo consoles Lionel Messi

Real Madrid were given a hero's welcome on their return to the Spanish capital after beating Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday night.

World record signing Gareth Bale scored a wonder goal with four minutes of the final remaining to seal a 2-1 victory and keep Madrid's hopes of a treble alive.

The former Tottenham forward galloped towards goal and had to swerve off the pitch to beat Barcelona defender Marc Bartra before sliding the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.

The goal came after Bartra had pulled Barcelona back into the game with a powerful header, which cancelled out Angel Di Maria's first-half opener. It was Bale's first match-winning goal since joining Madrid from Spurs last summer for a world-record fee.