Real Madrid climbed back above Barcelona to the top of La Liga as Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain both scored twice to seal a convincing 4-2 victory at city rivals Getafe on Thursday.
Champions Barcelona ground out a laboured 2-0 win at home to Osasuna on Wednesday to go three points clear on 71 and Real reclaimed the lead thanks to a superior goal difference over their arch rivals, whom they host in just over two weeks.
Ronaldo fired Real in front in the 13th minute with a trademark free-kick before in-form Argentina striker Higuain scored his 21st and 22nd goals of the campaign to put the visitors three ahead inside 23 minutes.
Ronaldo cut in from the right to smash home a fourth in the 37th and Daniel Parejo pulled one back a minute later after goalkeeper Iker Casillas was stranded outside his penalty area.
Real comfortably controlled a less frantic second half, although Casillas was beaten again in the 80th when Pedro Leon pounced on a loose ball and finished from close range.
Getafe’s miserable night took a turn for the worse in added time when coach Michel, a former Real player, was dismissed from the bench for protesting a decision.