Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times as Real Madrid cruised to a 7-1 win over Celta Vigo to move within a point of second-placed Atletico Madrid.
Ronaldo claimed his fifth hat-trick of the season to take his total to 39.
He struck three times in 15 minutes after the break, after Pepe had headed Real into a 1-0 half-time lead.
Iago Aspas pulled a goal back but Ronaldo completed his treble and headed in a fourth before Jese and Gareth Bale, on his comeback, scored late on.
Ronaldo’s efforts saw Real bounce back from losing to Atletico in their previous home game, a 1-0 defeat that virtually ended their hopes of catching Barcelona at the top of the table.
Ronaldo attracted some criticism from whistling Real fans before scoring his first goal and that led to some unrest in the Bernabeu and Celta, who were unbeaten in three games in their pursuit of a place in the Europa League, should have gone ahead when ex-Liverpool striker Aspas headed against a post.
But Pepe calmed things down as he nodded in his first goal of the season from an Isco corner.
Real were below full strength but overwhelmed Celta in the second half as they gave themselves the perfect preparation for the second leg of their Champions League last 16-tie, which they lead 2-0, at home to Roma on Tuesday night.
Ronaldo lashed in a dipping, 25-yard drive five minutes after the break before curling a superb free-kick into the top corner.
Aspas coolly lifted his 10th league goal of the season over Keylor Navas to make it 3-1, but Ronaldo then tapped in his third goal to claim his 36th hat-trick in Spanish football.
With Celta’s defence struggling, Ronaldo headed in from a corner and Jese ran through to slot the sixth before Bale, back from a calf problem that has kept him out since mid-January, completed the rout with a run and low shot which went in off a post.
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