Real Madrid, without their prolific goal scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, thrashed Granada 4-0 on Saturday night to keep in touch with Barcelona on the La Liga table.
Both teams are tied at 84 points, with Barcelona holding a superior goal difference advantage.
But Madrid have three more games to play, while Barca have two.
For Madrid, the Granada game was all tied up within the first half hour as they took three vital points with three games left to play in LaLiga.
It took just three minutes for the Whites to show that they wouldn’t budge an inch in the title race.
Alvaro Morata, passed to Lucas Vázquez from the edge of the area, and he then laid on a pass for James, who easily found the back of the net with a tidy goal.
The Whites had got their goal, and within 10 minutes got another.
Coentrão crossed in and James was the fastest to react, hammering in a thundering header.
The Colombian now had a brace to his name and had already given a masterclass with the game having only just started.
The third goal came on the half hour mark.
Casemiro saw Danilo break away from his man.
His countryman controlled the ball and set up Morata, and struck a first time shot from around the penalty area.
The way in which the ball went in off the post made it an even sweeter goal to behold.
It was the prelude to another beautiful goal from the academy graduate.
Five minutes later he got his second after a great bit of individual work saw him get the better of Hongla and beat Ochoa from distance.
There was a chance to extend the lead before the break, but Lucas Vázquez’s left-footed shot after 42 minutes crashed into the crossbar, and Ochoa came out on top in the 45th minute.
The second half had less intensity.
Real Madrid, with an eye on Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final slowed down the pace of the game.
Despite that, the chances kept coming, almost getting the fifth in the 61st minute. Benzema started the counterattack which fell to Danilo, who hit the post from the rebound.
Four minutes later Ochoa saved again after a Lucas Vázquez shot from the edge of the area.
There were no more goals.
The Whites now have their minds on the Champions League derby.
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