Real Madrid beat local rivals Getafe 4-0 to put FC Barcelona's title celebrations on hold for 22 hours on Tuesday in the Spanish La Liga.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick which included a last minute penalty to give is side all three points in a game that was far too easy considering that Getafe were fighting for their La Liga survival.

Karim Benzema also got on the scoresheet as Real Madrid brushed past a Getafe side that clearly never believed it could get anything from the game.

Anything other than a Real Madrid win would have mathematically assured FC Barcelona their third consecutive league title, as things stand, Barcelona can win the title on Wednesday with a draw away to Levante.

Getafe meanwhile could slip back into the relegation zone if Zaragoza win away to Real Sociedad.

Elsewhere Deportivo la Coruna climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win at home to Athletic Club Bilbao. Gaizka Toquero put Athletic ahead on three minutes, but Adrian Lopez equalized soon afterwards and Deportivo won the game in the second half thanks to an own goal from Athletic defender Xabi Castillo.

Atletico Madrid lost away to Racing Santander in a result which assures Racing's future in the La Liga. Mario Suarez opened the scoring for the visitors after 10 minutes, but Swedish duo Kennedy Bakircioglu and Markus Rosenberg turned things around for Racing.

Malaga will also be in the La Liga next season thanks to their fifth win in five games, Malaga won 2-0 at home to Sporting Gijon thanks to goals from Julio Cesar Baptista, his eighth in six games, and Eliseu Dos Santos.

Sporting still need a win to assure their La Liga future.