Real close in after Malaga rout

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick to make it 27 league goals for the season as Real Madrid crushed hapless Malaga 7-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to seven points.

Updated on: Mar 4, 2011, 23:13:16 IST

AFP | By Anonymous, Madrid

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick to make it 27 league goals for the season as Real Madrid crushed hapless Malaga 7-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to seven points.

Jose Mourinho's side responded to Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Valencia the day before by maintaining their 100 per cent home record with their biggest win of the season last night.

Ronaldo had gone four games in all competitions without a goal - a drought by his high standards - but the Portuguese star hit the goal trail as Real ran riot.

First half goals from French forward Karim Benzema, Argentine winger Angel di Maria and Brazilian full back Marcelo put Real into a commanding first half lead before Ronaldo took centre stage in the second half to give Manuel Pellegrini, who had guided Real to a 96-point record last season before being sacked, a horrid return to the Bernabeu.

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