Real Madrid reduced the gap at the top of La Liga back to eight points ahead of next week’s El Clasico as Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick helped secure a 5-1 victory over Deportivo.
GettyImagesCristiano Ronaldo was again Real’s hat-trick hero
Riki had given the visitors a shock lead on 15 minutes but Real were level seven minutes later when Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot after Manuel Pablo had brought down Angel Di Maria. And the hosts were in cruise control by half-time as Di Maria and Ronaldo nodded in from close range just before the break.
Pepe headed in the fourth 23 minutes from time following Xabi Alonso’s free-kick, before Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with another penalty after Evaldo had been harshly adjudged to have handled Kaka’s cross.
Valladolid put a three-game losing streak behind them in emphatic fashion by thrashing Rayo Vallecano 6-1 thanks to braces from Manucho and Oscar Gonzalez.
Alejandro Dominguez had fired Rayo into the lead after just five minutes, but that was as good it would get for the visitors as two goals in three minutes from Alberto Bueno and Manucho put Valladolid in front.
Oscar then got his first with a lovely chip over Ruben Martinez before Omar Ramos teed up Antonio Rukavina to fire in a fourth before half-time.
The chances continued to flow for the hosts in the second half and, after Oscar had stroked home the fifth on 55 minutes, Manucho capped a wonderful individual display by smashing in his second five minutes from time.
Two goals in the opening 20 minutes were enough to hand Granada their first victory of the season as they withstood a second-half onslaught from Celta Vigo to win 2-1 at Nuevo Los Carmenes.
Guilherme Siqueira had given the home side the lead from the penalty spot after 11 minutes and the Brazilian left-back then brilliantly set up Gabriel Torje to double the advantage moments later.
Iago Aspas quickly reduced the arrears for Celta and the hosts were thankful to goalkeeper Tono as he made a number of fine saves after the break, most notably to deny Park Chu-young an equaliser two minutes from time.
Four second-half goals – three in the last eight minutes – saw Osasuna wrap up their first victory of the season as they despatched a poor Levante side 4-0.
Emiliano Armenteros opened the scoring 10 minutes after the break before Roland Lamah (82), a David Timor penalty a minute from time and Nino’s injury-time strike wrapped up a resounding victory of which there had been little indication after a poor first half.
Victory guides Osasuna, who started the game bottom with just one point, to 17th while Levante remain 11th.