Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (R) celebrates in front of Marcelo (L) and Javier Hernandez “Chicharito” after scoring against Sevilla during their Spanish first division soccer match at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville Saturday. — Reuters
MADRID — A Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick maintained Real Madrid's La Liga title aspirations as it ended Sevilla's 34-game unbeaten run at home with a 3-2 win Saturday. Victory kept the European champion just two points behind Barcelona with three games to play after Luis Suarez scored his first hat trick for the Catalans in a 8-0 humiliation of relegated Cordoba. The game swung massively in Madrid's favor in the space of two first-half minutes whilst Sevilla was down to 10 men as Grzegorz Krychowiak was off the field receiving treatment for a facial injury. Ronaldo headed home expertly from Isco's cross and then prodded in from Javier Hernandez's flick-on moments later. Sevilla was handed a route back into the game when Sergio Ramos upended Vidal inside the area in first-half stoppage time and Carlos Bacca converted from the penalty spot. Ronaldo looked to have sealed the three points with a stunning header from Gareth Bale's cross midway through the second-half. However, Vicente Iborra reduced the deficit once more from as he swept home Vidal's cross to set up a grandstand finish. Ronaldo's 29th Madrid hat-trick took him onto 42 La Liga goals for the campaign, two ahead of Lionel Messi who netted twice as Barca condemned Cordoba to relegation in embarrassing fashion. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid failed to nail down third place and an automatic return to the Champions League next season as it was held 0-0 at home by Athletic Bilbao. Lyon reclaims top spot Lyon reclaimed top spot in Ligue 1 on Saturday with a convincing 2-0 victory over struggler Evian to put the pressure back on title rival Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon has the same 71 points as PSG but lead on goal difference. On Friday, an Andre Pierre Gignac-inspired Marseille boosted its prospects of competing in next season's Champions League win a 2-0 win over relegation-bound Metz. Elsewhere, European hopefuls Montpellier and Bordeaux was held to goalless draws by Brittany sides Rennes and Lorient respectively. Reims lost 2-0 to Guingamp, who are now assured of staying in the top flight, while 13th-ranked Nice and 14th-placed Caen played a 1-1 draw. Leverkusen beats Bayern Bayer Leverkusen beat a second-string Bayern Munich 2-0 Saturday to move up to third in the Bundesliga and get back on course for an automatic Champions League spot with three matches left in the season. Hakan Calhanoglu whipped in a fierce free kick in the 55th minute and Julian Brandt completed a quick break nine minutes from time to lift Leverkusen to 58 points, four behind second-placed VfL Wolfsburg and one ahead of Borussia Moenchengladbach. It was the second disappointment in a week for injury-plagued Bayern after their German Cup exit to Borussia Dortmund, but it can be forgiven for fielding a weakened side with its focus on the Champions League semifinal in Barcelona this week. — Agencies
