Seven- star Real in top four

Madrid, Jan. 22: Real Madrid moved back into the top four of La Liga by thumping lowly Deportivo La Coruna 7- 1 on Sunday, with Cristiano Ronaldo ending a miserable run of league form with a late double.

But Barcelona still extended their lead to 11 points — and 19 ahead of Real.

Ronaldo had only scored four league goals before Sunday’s clash with thirdfrombottom Deportivo, but the Portuguese added Real’s fifth and sixth with a smart volley and a diving header as they moved back above Villarreal and into the Champions ● Ronaldo added Real’s fifth and sixth goals with a smart volley and a diving header as they moved back above Villarreal and into the Champions League places

● Gareth Bale and Nacho also bagged braces each side of half- time while Luka Modric curled home a 68th- minute beauty

League places.

Villarreal had temporarily taken fourth with a 2- 1 win over Levante on Saturday after beating Real at the Bernabeu for the first time ever last week.

Gareth Bale and Nacho also bagged braces each side of half- time and Luka Modric curled home a

68th- minute beauty as Real came back from a shock early deficit, a 23rdminute tap- in from Adrian, to romp to an emphatic victory and ease the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane.

The win leaves Real five points behind Valencia in third, after Marcelino’s side had two players sent off in a shock 1- 2 loss at lowly Las Palmas

Real had come into Sunday’s match in crisis following some dismal performances that culminated in last week’s defeat to Villarreal, and the mess seemed to have grown deeper when Adrian tapped home Lucas Perez’s low cross.

However, the home side reacted immediately and by half- time were 2- 1 up thanks to Nacho’s.

The floodgates opened in the second half, with Bale adding his second from a towering header and Luka Modric expertly whipping home Real’s fourth.