Messi Nets 30th Hat-Trick As Ronaldo Keeps Heat On

Real Madrid ensured they would top La Liga at the midway point of the season when Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-0 win at Getafe yesterday before Lionel Messi's hat-trick helped Barcelona win 4-0 at Deportivo La Coruna.

The world's two best players were once again in scintillating form, but champions Atletico Madrid also ensured that they stayed in the hunt with a 2-0 victory at home to bottom club Granada that lifted them back into third place.

Real, who have a game in hand, have 45 points from 18 of 38 matches, with Barca on 44 and Atletico on 41 in third, three ahead of Valencia, who won 3-2 at home to Almeria on Saturday.

"We have performed very well in this first part of the league," said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"We started with the odd problem, but then we had a very good run.

"We are very well positioned and we have to carry on in the same way."

Despite Ronaldo's latest scoring feat, it was hardly a vintage performance from Real, who have stumbled at the start of the year and were also dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Atletico on Thursday.

Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute, clipping the ball in from close range after good work from Karim Benzema.

Gareth Bale made it 2-0 four minutes later when he finished cleverly after a swift break, and Ronaldo grabbed his second 11 minutes from time with a powerful header - the Portugal forward's 28th goal of the campaign in his 17th appearance.

Valencia, meanwhile, climbed above Atletico and Sevilla into third when Alvaro Negredo came off the bench to score a late winner in a 3-2 home victory over his former club Almeria on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Napoli beat Lazio 1-0 in Rome yesterday to go third in Serie A thanks to an 18th-minute goal from Argentinian international Gonzalo Higuain.

Also in Italy, goals from Gonzalo Bergessio and Roberto Soriano saw Sampdoria win 2-0 in Parma.

But AC Milan's miserable run continued with another defeat at their San Siro home against struggling Atalanta, with German Denis scoring the game's only goal.