Real show class; first win for Granada

Real Madrid reduced the gap at the top of La Liga to eight points ahead of next week's El Clasico.

Football News: Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick led Real to a 5-1 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

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 25 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.

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 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.

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.

In the late game, Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Malaga and returned to second place as Raul Garcia decided a 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Espanyol.

The former Osasuna midfielder headed home a superb cross from the right by Juanfran but, despite claiming their fifth straight league win, they were not wholly impressive and were stretched by an Espanyol side who remain anchored to the bottom of La Liga with just one point.

The Rojiblancos, meanwhile, sit just two points shy of Tito Vilanova's Barcelona.

Sunday's La Liga Results

Granada 2-1 Celta Vigo

Real Valladolid 6-1 Rayo Vallecano

Osasuna 4-0 Levante

Real Madrid 5-1 Deportivo La Coruna

Espanyol 0-1 Atletico Madrid

Saturday's La Liga Results

Valencia 2-0 Real Zaragoza

Malaga 4-0 Real Betis

Real Sociedad 2-0 Athletic Bilbao

Sevilla 2-3 Barcelona



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