Striker Alberto Bueno was the hero as Rayo Vallecano moved into the top half of the La Liga table with a 4-2 win over Levante.

After his team fell behind to a goal from Victor Casadesus, the 26-year-old struck four times in a remarkable 15-minute spell to earn his team maximum points at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas.

The match started evenly, with both sides having chances to open the scoring, but it was the visitors who took the lead through Casadesus, who fired home from close range on 13 minutes, after being set up by Jordi Xumetra.

However, it took Vallecano just 10 minutes to find an equaliser as Bueno netted the first of his four goals with a 12-yard header from Nacho's delivery.

His second arrived 10 minutes later when he converted from eight yards, before Bueno's hat-trick was complete when he struck the ball into the bottom corner from a Lica cross.

A special night for Bueno got even better seven minutes before the break when he was provided with the simple task of netting from two yards out, moments after he had been denied by Levante stopper Diego Marino.

Levante made two substitutions at half time but, despite their improvement, they could not reduce the deficit, with an effort from David Barral that struck the post the closest that they came after the restart.

Victor Camarasa also had a shot saved as the game entered its closing stages and, four minutes from time, Levante finally netted their second thanks to a precise finish into the roof of the net from Kalu Uche.

That was as good as it got for Levante though, who remain in the bottom three after a night which belonged to Bueno.