Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick as Real Madrid warmed up for its highly anticipated Champions league clash against Paris Saint-Germain by routing Real Sociedad 5-2 in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Madrid has had a disappointing season and needed a strong performance before PSG visits the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in the last 16.
The convincing win over Sociedad came after Madrid won only two of its previous six league matches and suffered a humbling exit from the Copa del Rey to modest Leganes.
With Spanish leader Barcelona still a massive 16 points ahead, Madrid’s only real chance to end the season with a major piece of silverware rests on becoming European champion for a third consecutive year.
PSG also won ahead of its visit to the Spanish capital as Neymar scored to earn a 1-0 win at Toulouse in France.
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RONALDO HONES AIM
With Ronaldo leading the way, Madrid took the lead before a minute was up and led 4-0 by halftime.
Ronaldo and Karim Benzema also hit the woodwork in a first half completely dominated by Madrid, which used its pressure high up the pitch to perfection.
Ronaldo helped get Madrid rolling just 49 second into the match when he crossed the ball to the penalty spot where Lucas Vazquez turned it in with a header.
Ronaldo fired in a low cross from Marcelo after Marco Asensio duped two defenders with a deft spin to play Marcelo clear down the left side.
Toni Kroos curled in a long strike for Madrid’s third goal, and Ronaldo headed home a corner kick by Luka Modric in the 37th.
Ronaldo’s achieved his first hat trick of the season in the 80th, off a spilled save by goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Jon Bautista and Asier Illarramendi scored for Sociedad.
Coach Zinedine Zidane left midfielder Casemiro on his bench ahead of the PSG match, and played Gareth Bale only as a late substitute.
Madrid moved into third place, two points above Valencia, which plays Levante on Sunday.
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ATLETICO CUTS GAP
Antoine Griezmann’s goal after only 40 seconds was all Atletico Madrid needed to beat Malaga 1-0 and close the gap with Barcelona to six points.
Griezmann scored after he was quickest to the ball after a long strike by Saul Niguez hit a defender and fell loose in the area.
Griezmann dedicated the goal to Nacho Barbera, an Atletico fan and teenage player who died from a heart attack last weekend during a game in eastern Spain. Griezmann held up a shirt with the last name of Barbera preceded by “Cholo,” the nickname for Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
“We knew it would be tough, but these are the games we like to play,” Griezmann said. “We will keep fighting in every game we have left.”
The only test for Atletico goalie Jan Oblak came in the 51st minute with a diving one-handed save against Roberto Rosales’ well-struck free kick.
The match was stopped for minutes near the end when Malaga substitute Medhi Lacen was injured in a collision with Fernando Torres. They appeared to knock heads. Lacen was carried off on a stretcher.
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Barcelona can restore its lead to nine points if it beats Getafe at home on Sunday.
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EIBAR IN EUROPE
Ivan Ramis’ stoppage-time goal ensured Eibar continued its excellent run over the last three months with a 1-0 win at 10-man Leganes.
The modest Basque Country club’s eighth victory in its last 12 matches lifted it into sixth place, which earns a Europa League berth.
Leganes was a man down from the 84th after Dimitrios Siovas’ second booking.
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ABELARDO’S ALAVES
Alaves extended its turnaround under coach Abelardo Fernandez by winning at fifth-place Villarreal 2-1. Alaves has won six times and lost only once in 10 rounds since Fernandez took over the team in early December.