Real Madrid remain in the La Liga title hunt with just four games left following a 3-0 victory over fourth-placed Villarreal at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring with a header in the latter stages of the first period, before Lucas Vasquez and Luka Modric netted after the break to make it eight straight league victories for Los Blancos.
© AFP
Barcelona were in action before the two Madrid clubs and the Catalan giants returned to winning ways in style - putting eight goals past Deportivo La Coruna to stretch their lead at the summit to three points.
Second-placed Atletico Madrid hit straight back with a 1-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao, however, which moved Diego Simeone's side level on points with the leaders and four ahead of Real Madrid at the mid-point of the first period at the Bernabeu.
Villarreal, who remain in control of fourth spot in La Liga, made it difficult for Real Madrid in the first half, but it ultimately proved to be a comfortable night for Zinedine Zidane's side.
It took until the eighth minute for Real Madrid to test Sergio Asenjo in the Villarreal net, but the Spaniard got down comfortably to keep out a low strike from Benzema.
Asenjo was again called into action in the 12th minute after Cristiano Ronaldo had found a pocket of space, but the Spanish goalkeeper again claimed under pressure to keep the two teams on terms after a tight opening to events in the capital.
It was Real Madrid that continued to look the most likely to make the breakthrough and a cross from Marcelo only needed a touch as Villarreal survived another dangerous moment in the 19th minute.
Vasquez, in for the injured Gareth Bale, produced a spectacular volley in the 32nd minute after a smart pick-out from Modric, but the Spaniard's effort was always moving wide of the post.
© AFP
Villarreal were not offering too much in the final third as the first period approached its latter stages, but the second-best defence in Spain were making it very difficult for the league's top scorers to find that crucial pass.
Ronaldo tried his luck from distance five minutes before the interval, but it was Benzema that made the breakthrough on the night - the Frenchman heading home from close range in the 41st minute after Asenjo had palmed a Ronaldo cross into the danger area.
Villarreal had a golden chance to level in the final moments of the first period when Denis Suarez found time and space inside the Real Madrid box, but the Spaniard's strike was straight at Keylor Navas as the hosts took a one-goal lead into the break.
© AFP
Real Madrid went in search of a second straight from the restart and Modric came close with a deflected strike in the 47th minute, before Ronaldo headed over the crossbar from the resulting corner.
Modric had another half-chance for Los Blancos in the 50th minute, but his curling strike from outside the box was always moving just wide of the post during a period of sustained pressure from Zidane's team.
It was the Ronaldo and Modric show early in the second half as the pair continued to have opportunities for the capital club, but Villarreal managed to hold firm, with Eric Bailly in particular excelling in central defence.
© AFP
Real Madrid did find a second in the 69th minute, however, when Vasquez combined with Benzema just outside the box before drilling a low strike into the bottom corner.
The second goal hurt Villarreal and they conceded again in the 76th minute when Modric expertly volleyed a Danilo cross into the back of the net to make it 3-0 and secure all the points for the home side.
© AFP
Suarez sent a free kick into the arms of Navas late on as Villarreal threatened a consolation strike, but the match ended with three goals separating the two sides as Real Madrid remain in the hunt with four games left in Spain's top flight.
Matt Law
