Spanish La Liga Roundup, May 10

Spanish La Liga Roundup, May 10

Published May. 11, 2011 9:02 a.m. ET

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick and Karim Benzema added another goal to give Real Madrid a 4-0 win over Getafe on Tuesday, delaying Barcelona from winning its third straight Spanish league title by at least a day.

Barcelona can claim its 21st league title with a draw at Levante on Wednesday.

Ronaldo has 36 league goals this season with two rounds left, five more than Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and two behind the record set by Telmo Zarra (1950-51) and Hugo Sanchez (1989-90).

''I am playing well,'' Ronaldo told Canal Plus television channel. ''It's true that I am fighting to be top scorer, but without obsessing about it.

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''The team is playing well. The priority is to finish the season winning our last games. Our coach asked us to do so and that's what we are doing.''

Ronaldo headed in Mesut Oezil's cross in the 24th minute, and the German midfielder found him again in the 58th for another goal.

Benzema scored two minutes after coming on in the 77th, before Ronaldo capped the win from the penalty spot in injury time.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had no mercy in the Spanish capital derby, deploying an attacking lineup that featured Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria flanking Gonzalo Higuain. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas was rested, allowing backup Antonio Adan to start for Madrid.

Madrid shone brightly from the start, controlling possession and easily breaching Getafe's area.

Marcelo, wearing the Madrid captain's armband for the first time, provided a constant threat from the left flank.

Ronaldo should have made more of a four-on-three counterattack in the 22nd, being tackled by a defender when a teammate was free. But two minutes later, the Portugal star rose above two defenders to head Oezil's curling cross past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

Getafe reacted through forward Adrian Colunga, who had his team's first shot on goal in the 35th and then came close with a powerful header that struck a defender's foot inside the six-yard box just before halftime.

Ronaldo added his second after Higuain had forced Ustari off his line, Oezil unselfishly laying off for the ex-Manchester United forward to rifle home.

Benzema latched on to Xabi Alonso's long pass before toeing the ball past Ustari for his 13th goal of the season. Ronaldo then recorded his seventh goal in two games with a spot kick after Jose Ortiz had pulled him down in the area.

''(Ronaldo's) scoring numbers are incredible, but they are the result of a team effort,'' Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka said.

Getafe's 10th straight away loss leaves it one point above the drop zone.

Earlier, Deportivo La Coruna came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1, moving three points clear of the relegation zone.

Gaizka Toquero put Bilbao ahead in the third minute, only for Deportivo to equalize in the 22nd when striker Adrian Lopez's strike took a deflection off Bilbao midfielder Carlos Gurpegi and landed in the net.

The hosts took the lead through Xavier Castillo's own goal when he tried to clear Adrian's cross in the 71st.

''We did what we needed to do,'' Adrian said. ''But there are two games left, so we still have work to do.''

Deportivo's first win in four weeks sent Zaragoza into the drop zone.

Athletic Bilbao is out the running for the Champions League with fourth-place Villarreal seven points ahead with a game in hand.

Also, Malaga beat Sporting Gijon 2-0 and Racing Santander defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 for both sides to strengthen their bids for staying up.

Also on Wednesday, Hercules faces a must-win game against Mallorca to keep alive its hopes of not joining Almeria in the second division next season, while Zaragoza also looks to avoid the drop at Real Sociedad.

Villarreal plays Almeria, Espanyol hosts Valencia and Sevilla is at Osasuna.

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