Cristiano Ronaldo's record-equalling 22nd La Liga hat-trick helped Real Madrid crush Athletic Bilbao and close to within four points of Barcelona.

Ronaldo's third treble in four league games drew him level with the tallies of Real legend Alfredo Di Stefano and ex-Athletic striker Telmo Zarra.

Headers from Ronaldo and Karim Benzema put Real 2-0 up at half-time.

Ronaldo tapped in his second and set up Benzema for Real's fourth before deflecting Pepe's shot into the corner.

The ball appeared to come off Ronaldo's arm but the referee awarded the goal to complete an emphatic win.

It was the World Player of the Year's 13th goal in six league games and his 17th of the season in all competitions.

Most La Liga hat-tricks

Player Hat-tricks

Cristiano Ronaldo

22

Alfredo Di Stefano

22

Telmo Zarra

22

Edmundo Suarez

19

Lionel Messi

19

Ronaldo's extraordinary goalscoring form has been central to Real Madrid's recovery from two defeats in their first three league games.

Since a 2-1 home reverse by city rivals Atletico Madrid on 13 September, Real have won six games in a row and scored 27 goals in the process.

They now sit fourth in the league table, one point above Atletico and four behind leaders Barca.

Their latest procession began as early as the second minute when Gareth Bale pinged a cross from the right to the far post and Ronaldo headed past Gorka Iraizoz from close range.

Athletic, who have now secured only one point in their last five league games and are 18th in the table, looked a shadow of the side that finished fourth last season as they wilted under relentless Real pressure.

With half-time approaching, Luka Modric floated a corner to the edge of the six-yard box where Benzema rose highest to double the home side's lead.

Slick interplay between Benzema and Bale teed up Ronaldo to slot in the third before the Portuguese raced on to Modric's incisive pass and squared for Benzema to tap in.

Ronaldo missed several chances to complete his hat-trick, only to get there in the 88th minute via a stroke of luck.

Pepe's scuffed effort struck Ronaldo's arm and flew past Iraizoz to round off another glorious night for the Real number seven, but a chastening one for the Basques.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has scored hat-tricks against Elche, Deportivo and Athletic Bilbao this season

Karim Benzema (right)

Karim Benzema has scored eight goals in 16 matches for club and country this season

Lineup, Bookings (3) & Substitutions (6)

Real Madrid

  • 01 Casillas
  • 15 Carvajal
  • 03 Pepe
  • 04 Ramos Booked (Varane - 45' )
  • 12 Marcelo
  • 19 Modric
  • 08 Kroos (Illarramendi - 74' )
  • 10 Rodríguez
  • 11 Bale
  • 09 Benzema (Isco - 79' )
  • 07 Ronaldo

Substitutes

  • 02 Varane
  • 13 Navas
  • 14 Hernández
  • 17 Arbeloa
  • 18 Nacho
  • 23 Isco
  • 24 Illarramendi

Athletic Bilbao

  • 01 Iraizoz
  • 10 De Marcos Booked
  • 18 Gurpegi
  • 04 Laporte
  • 24 Balenziaga Booked
  • 08 Iturraspe
  • 17 Rico Moreno
  • 14 Susaeta (López Cabrera - 62' )
  • 07 Etxebarria Urkiaga (Gómez - 45' )
  • 19 Muniain (Etxeita - 74' )
  • 22 Fernández Hierro

Substitutes

  • 06 San José
  • 11 Gómez
  • 13 Herrerín Buisán
  • 15 Iraola
  • 16 Etxeita
  • 21 Viguera
  • 29 López Cabrera
Ref: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández
Att: 77,987

Match Stats

Shots

19 6

On target

14 5

Corners

8 7

Fouls

9 10

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Real Madrid 5, Athletic Club 0.

90:00 +1:58 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Real Madrid 5, Athletic Club 0.

90:00 +0:38

Marcelo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90:00 +0:38

Foul by Ander Iturraspe (Athletic Club).

87:55 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Real Madrid 5, Athletic Club 0. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) with an attempt from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Pepe following a corner.

87:30

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Óscar De Marcos.

86:23

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the centre of the goal.

85:26

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

85:26

Foul by Óscar De Marcos (Athletic Club).

83:26

Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Marcelo with a cross.

80:33

Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Gareth Bale.

79:38

Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Carvajal.

78:54 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Real Madrid. Isco replaces Karim Benzema.

77:54

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

77:54

Foul by Xabier Etxeita (Athletic Club).

77:52

Attempt saved. Guillermo (Athletic Club) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.

77:28

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Pepe.

76:52

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Carvajal with a cross.

75:30

Foul by Asier Illarramendi (Real Madrid).

75:30

Óscar De Marcos (Athletic Club) wins a free kick on the right wing.

74:31

Attempt blocked. Ibai Gómez (Athletic Club) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Unai López.

73:40 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Real Madrid. Asier Illarramendi replaces Toni Kroos.

73:11 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Athletic Club. Xabier Etxeita replaces Iker Muniain.

72:48

Foul by Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid).

72:48

Ibai Gómez (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

72:41

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daniel Carvajal.

71:05

Attempt saved. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

70:24

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Ibai Gómez.

68:34 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Real Madrid 4, Athletic Club 0. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.

66:10

Offside, Real Madrid. Marcelo tries a through ball, but Gareth Bale is caught offside.

65:04

Offside, Real Madrid. Marcelo tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.

63:58

Luka Modric (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

63:58

Foul by Unai López (Athletic Club).

63:13

Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.

62:17

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

62:17

Foul by Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club).

61:46 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Athletic Club. Unai López replaces Markel Susaeta.

61:15

Foul by Pepe (Real Madrid).

61:15

Óscar De Marcos (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

60:51

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Mikel Balenziaga.

60:03

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Ibai Gómez.

59:33

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Gorka Iraizoz.

59:31

Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.

59:00

Foul by Luka Modric (Real Madrid).

59:00

Iker Muniain (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

58:22

Foul by Karim Benzema (Real Madrid).

58:22

Ander Iturraspe (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

57:16

Attempt saved. Ibai Gómez (Athletic Club) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Markel Susaeta with a cross.

55:49

Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by James Rodríguez.

54:14 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Real Madrid 3, Athletic Club 0. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gareth Bale.

51:52

Offside, Athletic Club. Iker Muniain tries a through ball, but Ibai Gómez is caught offside.

51:15

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Carlos Gurpegi.

49:38

Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo following a fast break.

48:46

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.

47:45

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Marcelo.

45:00

Second Half begins Real Madrid 2, Athletic Club 0.

45:00 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Real Madrid. Raphael Varane replaces Sergio Ramos.

45:00 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Athletic Club. Ibai Gómez replaces Beñat.

45:00 +1:06 Half time

Half Time First Half ends, Real Madrid 2, Athletic Club 0.

40:25 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Real Madrid 2, Athletic Club 0. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Luka Modric with a cross following a corner.

39:56

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Gorka Iraizoz.

39:54

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

36:42

Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Luka Modric.

34:41

Offside, Real Madrid. Toni Kroos tries a through ball, but Cristiano Ronaldo is caught offside.

33:53 Booking

Booking Mikel Balenziaga (Athletic Club) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.

33:47

Hand ball by Mikel Balenziaga (Athletic Club).

32:24

Offside, Real Madrid. Marcelo tries a through ball, but Cristiano Ronaldo is caught offside.

30:57

James Rodríguez (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

30:57

Foul by Mikel Rico (Athletic Club).

27:23 Booking

Booking Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

27:15

Foul by Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

27:15

Guillermo (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

26:52

Foul by Toni Kroos (Real Madrid).

26:52

Markel Susaeta (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

25:08

Offside, Real Madrid. Pepe tries a through ball, but Sergio Ramos is caught offside.

24:12 Booking

Booking Óscar De Marcos (Athletic Club) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

24:06

Marcelo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.

24:06

Foul by Óscar De Marcos (Athletic Club).

22:57

Attempt saved. Markel Susaeta (Athletic Club) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Beñat.

22:30

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Iker Casillas.

22:25

Attempt saved. Iker Muniain (Athletic Club) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

21:58

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Pepe.

21:32

Offside, Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.

20:52

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Sergio Ramos.

20:22

Corner, Athletic Club. Conceded by Sergio Ramos.

20:02

Foul by Karim Benzema (Real Madrid).

20:02

Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

19:07

Hand ball by Ander Iturraspe (Athletic Club).

17:55

Foul by Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

17:55

Guillermo (Athletic Club) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

13:44

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

12:45

Delay in match Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) because of an injury.

12:45

Delay in match Beñat (Athletic Club) because of an injury.

11:08

Offside, Real Madrid. Pepe tries a through ball, but Cristiano Ronaldo is caught offside.

9:45

Offside, Real Madrid. Gareth Bale tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.

8:12

Offside, Real Madrid. Marcelo tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.

7:51

Pepe (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

7:51

Foul by Mikel Rico (Athletic Club).

6:55

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Gorka Iraizoz.

6:53

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Rodríguez.

1:59 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Real Madrid 1, Athletic Club 0. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) header from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gareth Bale with a cross.

1:22

Attempt saved. Markel Susaeta (Athletic Club) right footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mikel Rico with a headed pass.

0:00

First Half begins.

0:00

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

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