Ronaldo fires unbeaten Real top

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain both scored braces as Real Madrid made it ten goals in two games with a 4-1 win at Malaga on Saturday to move top of the Spanish first division.

Portuguese star Ronaldo moved to the top of the goalscoring charts on six following his double and Jose Mourinho’s Real have the best attack and defence in the league lying a point ahead of Barcelona and Valencia at the summit.

Real are now the only unbeaten side in the league after champions Barcelona inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Valencia coming from behind to win 2-1 at Camp Nou.

Barca fell behind to a Pablo Hernandez goal on 37 minutes but turned the game around with a mesmerising second half thanks to goals from Spanish World Cup winners Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol.

“In the first half we didn’t have the ball and that was the key factor, however, equalising just after the interval was so important and really helped us,” said goalscorer Iniesta.

Real responded by going a point above Barcelona and Valencia following up the 6-1 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna with a 4-1 rout of Malaga.

Madrid hit the woodwork twice through Higuain and Sami Khedira before Higuain broke the deadlock on the half hour mark side-footing in a terrific cross-field ball from Ronaldo.

Ronaldo then got himself on the score-sheet with Mesut Ozil putting the ball on a plate for an easy tap-in.

Five minutes after the break Ozil was needlessly fouled in the penalty area and Ronaldo smashed home the resulting spot-kick for his sixth goal of the campaign.

Higuain grabbed his second and fifth of the season on 65 minutes and it could have been more as Real sent a warning to AC Milan who they host in the Champions League on Tuesday.

For Malaga it was another miserable home performance and they have lost all four of their home games so far.

Barcelona have been indifferent at home this season dropping five points in their first three matches, however, they got back on track with a crucial 2-1 home triumph over rivals Valencia.

Pablo Hernandez shot Valencia into a 37th minute lead but Barcelona produced a second half masterclass to turn the game around.

Two minutes after the break Iniesta surged forward before feeding Xavi who returned the ball to his team-mate who finished brilliantly.

Barca were a different side thereafter and David Villa had a header acrobatically saved by Cesar Sanchez on the hour mark.

But two minutes later Carles Puyol met Xavi’s cross with a bullet header to put Barca ahead with what proved the winning goal.

Villa could have had a hat-trick against his old club — where he spent five years before joining Barca for 40 million euros in the summer — but found 39-year-old goalkeeper Cesar in great form.

“We had two clear chances in the first half but they levelled early in the second and that was a real handicap for us,” said Valencia coach Unai Emery. “Barca pushed us back after that even though we had the desire to attack and try and win the game.”

Valencia hope to bounce back from this defeat with a Champions League group match at Scottish side Rangers on Wednesday while Barcelona host FC Copenhagen in their group game on the same day.

On Monday fourth-placed Villarreal can nudge Real Madrid, currently two points ahead, off the top providing they can beat promoted Hercules.

Earlier Atletico Madrid moved to within three points of the leading duo with a 2-0 win over derby rivals Getafe at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.

An unfortunate own goal from goalkeeper Jordi Codina on 37 minutes and a Diego Costa strike on 72 minutes helped Atletico move fifth.