Cristiano Ronaldo scored a third league hat-trick in four games as Real Madrid moved into the top four of La Liga with a 5-0 win over Athletic Bilbao this evening.

The visitors started disastrously as the Portuguese forward stole a yard on Oscar de Marco to head home Gareth Bale's cross after just two minutes.

Ronaldo almost doubled his tally five minutes later when he fired a low shot on target after a number of step-overs had taken him inside the penalty area.

Iker Muniain had Athletic's best chance of the half, but his speculative effort was comfortably tipped over by Iker Casillas in the Real Madrid goal before the half-hour mark.

France international striker Karim Benzema doubled the advantage shortly before the break when he nodded home a corner to put Los Blancos firmly in control at Santiago Bernabeu.

Carlo Ancelotti's side started the second half as they ended the first, and Bale missed a great chance to make it 3-0 when he curled an effort well over the bar after a sharp counter-attack.

However, the third was soon registered, and it was Ronaldo again, as he converted inside the six-yard box after a pass across the face of the goal from Bale.

Casillas, who was largely untroubled all evening, was forced into a smart save to deny Ibai Gomez just before the hour mark moments after Bale had gone close down the other end.

Bale thought that he made it 4-0 on 66 minutes, but the Welshman was flagged offside after finishing off Marcelo's cross, before Benzema scored with a tap-in after Ronaldo unselfishly squared to his teammate.

Ronaldo then claimed his 22nd La Liga hat-trick as the clocked ticked towards stoppage time to wrap up an emphatic win for Los Blancos.