Ronaldo strikes twice as Madrid routs Osasuna

Real Betis relegated after Getafe beat Malaga

With Gareth Bale recovering from flu and Karim Benzema on the bench, all of Madrid’s attack went through Ronaldo (centre) on the left flank.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two long-range goals to help Real Madrid rout Osasuna 4-0 on Saturday and stay in the Spanish league title chase while resting several first-choice players for its clash at Bayern Munich.

And the Ballon d’Or winner didn’t disappoint by unleashing two similar blasts after cutting inside to put the ball on his right boot and lift his league-leading tally to 30 goals through 35 rounds.

Madrid provisionally closed to within three points of leader Atletico Madrid before it visits Valencia on Sunday, when Barcelona, one point behind Madrid, hosts Villarreal.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also gave valuable rest to defender Pepe and midfielder Xavi Alonso to prepare for its visit to Bayern on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal. Madrid won the first leg 1-0.

Elsewhere, Getafe’s 1-0 win over Malaga condemned last-place Real Betis to relegation even before it fell 1-0 at home to Real Sociedad, while Rayo Vallecano scored three times in the second half for a 3-0 win at 10-man Granada.

Osasuna lined up to provide Madrid a guard of honour before the match as the hosts paraded their recently won Copa del Rey trophy at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Ronaldo then went to work chalking up his 29th league goal in the sixth minute when he unleashed a trademark blast from outside the area that took a slight deflection off defender Damia Abella before falling just inside the far upright.

But it fell to Ronaldo to start the second half as he had the first, with Osasuna’s outclassed defence letting him again dribble to near the elbow of the area before he launched a shot into the top corner of the net in the 52nd.

Sergio Ramos headed in a third goal in the 60th and Ronaldo went to the bench seconds later to an ovation from the crowd. Dani Carvajal headed home Isco Alarcon’s lobbed pass to cap the lopsided victory in the 83rd.

All the matches observed a minute of silence before kickoff for Barcelona’s former coach, Tito Vilanova, who died on Friday after a battle with cancer.