La Liga round-up: Real Madrid thrash Espanyol, while Sevilla and Las Palmas win

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 29th La Liga hat-trick as Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid moved back to within four points of leaders Barcelona with a 6-0 thrashing of Espanyol on Sunday.

In keeping with their fast starts under new boss Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid raced into a 4-0 half-time lead with Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez's first goal since November adding to Ronaldo's double.

The three-time World Player of the Year sealed his latest La Liga hat-trick nine minutes from time before Oscar Duarte's own goal ensured a repeat scoreline from when the sides met earlier this season.

"We all needed to work harder as a team and now we have a positive mentality," Ronaldo told Canal Plus of Zidane's impact.

"The pre-season wasn't very good, there was a lot of travelling. Zizou has arrived with different ideas and we need to continue like this."

Victory also moves Real just a point behind local rivals Atletico Madrid after their 2-1 defeat to Barca in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday.

However, Barcelona also have a game in hand on both Madrid clubs.

Real have now struck 41 goals in seven games at home since being thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in November.

Zidane's men again made a flying start as Rodriguez's cross from the right picked out Benzema to take his tally for the season to 22 goals in 21 games after seven minutes.

Ronaldo hit five when the sides met earlier in the campaign and was among the goals once more as he doubled the lead from the penalty spot after being brought down by Enzo Roco.

Rodriguez's deflected effort killed the game as a contest after just 18 minutes and Benzema could easily have made it four as he shot wide after a lovely one-two with Isco.

Ronaldo did get the fourth before the break with an audacious piece of skill to skip past Alvaro Gonzalez, before blasting into the top corner on his left foot.

Madrid's intensity dropped after the break with the points in the bag, but Ronaldo wasn't to be denied another hat-trick as he nodded home Jese Rodriguez's cross to register his 30th goal of the season.

And Duarte's own goal rounded off the scoring from another dangerous Jese cross.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Sevilla climbed to fifth in La Liga with a 3-1 victory over Levante.

Kevin Gameiro scored inside a minute for the home side, before Vicente Iborria double their lead less than two minutes after the interval.

Giuseppe Rossi then pulled one back for Levante, but Yevhen Konoplyanka sealed the win for Sevilla 14 minutes from time.

Meanwhile, Las Palmas came from behind to record a last-gasp 2-1 win over 10-man Celta Vigo.

Theo Bongonda put Celta in front after just five minutes, then Jonathan Viera's penalty levelled the game before half-time.

Fabian Orellana then saw red with 15 minutes to go, before Willian Jose netted the winner in the 90th minute for Las Palmas.