Real Madrid thrash Las Palmas to extend lead at top of La Liga

Real Madrid have moved three points clear at the top of the La Liga table with a 3-1 victory over Las Palmas.

The capital club were fast out of the blocks at the Bernabeu and it took them just four minutes to open the scoring, with Isco providing the cool finish after being set up by Luka Modric.

Just before the quarter-hour mark, it was two after a delivery from the left flank from Marcelo was headed in by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The home side pushed for a third, with Jese forcing a block out of the goalkeeper, but seven minutes before the break, Las Palmas halved the deficit as Hernan sent a free header past Kiko Casilla, who had come into the team in place of the injured Keylor Navas.

However, the minnows could not retain that margin until half time as Jese netted Real’s third with a curling effort into the far corner.

Real returned for the second half looking to extend their lead and a fourth goal very nearly materialised when Ronaldo fired marginally wide from an acute angle.

Moments after Willian Jose had been denied by Casilla, Ronaldo had another chance, this time failing to convert a cross from Jese, although the Portuguese was at full stretch when he reached the ball.

Las Palmas were having their own moments at the other end, but a mixture of solid defending and the ball not falling for their attackers resulted in Real maintaining their two-goal cushion heading into the final 15 minutes.

Isco struck over for Real and Tana drilled wide for Las Palmas during a relatively quiet ending to the match, but that suited Real who are three points ahead of Barcelona in the standings.