Ronaldo nets four as Real rout Santander; Messi double sinks Zaragoza

October 23, 2010 -- Updated 2221 GMT (0621 HKT)

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals for the first time as Real Madrid retained top spot in Spain with a 6-1 thrashing of Racing Santander on Saturday.

Defending champions Barcelona had briefly gone to the La Liga summit with a 2-0 victory at bottom club Zaragoza thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi, but Ronaldo upstaged the world player of the year as Real ran riot.

The Portugal forward took his tally to 11 goals in 11 games this season -- eight coming in his last three league matches.

Santander came to the Spanish capital just one point above the relegation zone, and tried a defensive line-up of three center-backs which was exposed time and again in the first half.

Gonzalo Higuain put Real ahead in the 10th minute with a calm finish after collecting Angel Di Maria's superb long pass for his fifth league goal this season, then five minutes later he set up Ronaldo's first of the night with a low cross from the right.

Ronaldo made it 3-0 in the 27th minute despite coming from an offside position, sidefooting home again this time with his left foot as Mesut Ozil mirrored Higuain's assist.

Santander switched to a 4-4-2 formation at halftime, but it made no difference as Ronaldo completed his hat-trick two minutes after the break as he showed good balance to turn and guide in a low cross from Di Maria which went behind him.

The world's most expensive player then made it 5-0 from the penalty spot in the 55th minute after Di Maria was brought down just inside the area, and Germany midfielder Ozil put Real further ahead from Xabi Alonso's throughball on 63.

Santander took small consolation 10 minutes later when midfielder Papa Diop's shot took a wicked deflection off the back of teammate Markus Rosenberg, leaving Real captain Iker Casillas helpless in goal.

The victory means Real have scored 16 goals in three league games, and kept Jose Mourinho's unbeaten team one point ahead of Barcelona.

"We've been playing well for several games now, doing a good job overall and pressurising our opponents as a whole team. Individual quality starts to shine through sooner when a team works well collectively," Mourinho told the Real website.

"We have to start working on our game against Murcia [on Tuesday] as of now. Ozil, Carvalho and Xabi Alonso will have a three-day holiday. The rest will be called up for the match. [Karim] Benzema will be a starter, and so will Ronaldo."

Messi took his tally to four goals in a week as he followed up his two-goal effort from Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen.

The Argentina forward put the Catalans ahead three minutes before halftime after being set free by Spain striker David Villa's surging run on the counter-attack.

Zaragoza, rock bottom with just three draws from eight matches, then had midfielder Leonardo Ponzio red-carded soon after halftime following an incident also involving Barcelona fullback Dani Alves.

Barca took advantage in the 66th minute as Messi lashed home the loose ball after the home defense failed to clear, while Villa hit the outside of the post later on.

Valencia could have joined Barcelona on 19 points, but lost 2-1 at home to Mallorca in the late match.

The islanders led 2-0 before half an hour had been played as a much-changed home side suffered a second successive league defeat.

Chori Castro netted both goals -- the first a sixth-minute penalty after striker Pierre Webo was clipped from behind, the second an opportunist header after an earlier shot was blocked.

Valencia, who drew 1-1 away to Scottish club Rangers in the Champions League in midweek, pulled one back from the spot in the 35th minute through Roberto Soldado but could not capitalize on an improved second-half showing.

Third-placed Villarreal, who also have 16 points, can move ahead of Barca on goal difference with victory against Atletico Madrid on Sunday

In Saturday's only Italian Serie A match, Fiorentina moved up to 12th place with a 2-1 win at home to Bari -- a result that left both clubs in a bunch of six on eight points, eight behind leaders Lazio.

Midfielder Marco Donadel opened the scoring in the 34th minute and Alberto Gilardino doubled the lead with eight minutes to play before Alessandro Parisi's late consolation.

Former Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara has been named new coach of Italy's Under-21 team, replacing Pierluigi Casiraghi.