Match ends, Real Madrid 5, Real Sociedad 1.
Real Madrid 5-1 Real Sociedad
- From the section European Football
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 23rd Real Madrid hat-trick as they swept aside Real Sociedad to move within three points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Ronaldo opened the scoring early with an angled finish before setting up striker Karim Benzema for the second.
The Portuguese forward's penalty put the game beyond the visitors and Gareth Bale fed Sami Khedira for the fourth.
Antoine Griezmann pulled one back with a rising finish but a Ronaldo free-kick wrapped up the win and his hat-trick.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have scored 15 goals in the last three league games, with Ronaldo scoring eight of them.
The 28-year-old former Manchester United player now has 27 goals in 19 appearances for club and country this season, including four hat-tricks.
It was the perfect warm-up for his showdown with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also scored a hat-trick for Paris St-Germain, when Portugal face Sweden in a World Cup qualifying play-off, the first leg taking place in Portugal on 15 November.
Ronaldo was unlucky not to open the scoring in the seventh minute when his 25-yard effort hit the bar.
But he did not have to wait long to celebrate as he pulled down Benzema's deep cross before drilling past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from a tight angle after 12 minutes.
Ronaldo then returned the favour six minutes later with a pull-back that the France international side-footed past Bravo to make it 2-0.
It was 3-0 after 26 minutes, Ronaldo winning a penalty when his low shot went through Markel Bergara's legs and hit the defender's trailing arm.
It was tough on Bergara but Ronaldo was not about to waste the chance as he fired home his second from the spot.
The game was as good as over for Sociedad at that point, but the agony was not and Bale set up Khedira to rifle home Madrid's fourth from the edge of the box with nine minutes of the first half remaining.
Madrid continued to push for more goals but it was the visitors who netted next when Griezmann neatly lobbed home a through-ball from Carlos Vela after 61 minutes.
That was as good as it got for Sociedad though, and Ronaldo completed the scoring - and yet another hat-trick - with a 25-yard free-kick with 14 minutes left.
The win closed the gap on Barcelona but the league leaders visit struggling Real Betis on Sunday.
Line-ups
Real Madrid
- 25López
- 15Carvajal
- 17ArbeloaBooked at 53mins
- 14AlonsoSubstituted forIllarramendiat 70'minutes
- 2Varane
- 3PepeBooked at 29mins
- 6KhediraSubstituted forIscoat 77'minutes
- 19Modric
- 9BenzemaSubstituted forMorataat 83'minutes
- 11Bale
- 7Cristiano Ronaldo
Substitutes
- 1Casillas
- 18Nacho
- 20Rodríguez Ruiz
- 21Morata
- 22Di María
- 23Isco
- 24Illarramendi
Real Sociedad
- 1Bravo
- 2MartínezSubstituted forAnsotegiat 59'minutes
- 20Valdés Díaz
- 4ElustondoSubstituted forZurutuzaat 45'minutes
- 3GonzálezBooked at 76mins
- 6Martínez Berridi
- 11Vela
- 5Bergara
- 8SeferovicSubstituted forDe la Bellaat 45'minutes
- 10Prieto Argarate
- 7Griezmann
Substitutes
- 9Agirretxe
- 13Zubikarai
- 15Ansotegi
- 17Zurutuza
- 18Castro
- 23Ros Añón
- 24De la Bella
- Referee:
- Juan Martínez Munuera
- Attendance:
- 77,427
Match Stats
Home TeamReal MadridAway TeamReal Sociedad
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away3
- Corners
- Home2
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away9
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Real Madrid 5, Real Sociedad 1.
Attempt missed. Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad) header from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Carlos Vela with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.
Attempt missed. Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo with a cross.
Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Diego López.
Attempt saved. Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Attempt missed. Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad) header from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ion Ansotegi with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Diego López.
Attempt saved. Alberto De la Bella (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Xabi Prieto.
Foul by Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid).
José Ángel (Real Sociedad) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Álvaro Morata replaces Karim Benzema.
Attempt missed. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Isco.
Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad).
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Isco replaces Sami Khedira.
Goal!
Goal! Real Madrid 5, Real Sociedad 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Booking
Mikel González (Real Sociedad) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Mikel González (Real Sociedad).
Sami Khedira (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Markel Bergara (Real Sociedad).
Foul by Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid).
Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sami Khedira (Real Madrid).
Markel Bergara (Real Sociedad) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Asier Illarramendi replaces Xabi Alonso.
Attempt missed. Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Carlos Vela with a through ball.
Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) with an attempt from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Xabi Alonso with a cross following a set piece situation.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Markel Bergara (Real Sociedad).
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by José Ángel (Real Sociedad).
Attempt saved. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Karim Benzema.
Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Zurutuza (Real Sociedad).
Hand ball by Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).
Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Mikel González.
Goal!
Goal! Real Madrid 4, Real Sociedad 1. Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner following a fast break.