Good afternoon, and welcome to our live coverage of the La Liga game between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. Second hosts seventh in today's early fixture.

Real Madrid win 5-1, four of them coming in the first period. They move two points behind Atletico Madrid and three behind Barcelona, for now at least. Sociedad's contact with the European places, meanwhile, becomes rather more tenuous. Thanks for your company this afternoon!

Nope - it comes to nothing and that's full time.

Vela is tackled by Carvajal - corner. One more chance?

Zurutuza looks to play Vela in, but Varane is alert and clears the danger.

Two minutes to be added on here.

A rare piece of miscontrol from Ronaldo, who sees the ball taken off him by Ansotegi.

The chances have been coming thick and fast late on. Madrid appear to have recovered their lustre, but you have to give Sociedad some credit for approaching a lost cause so gamely, too.

Terrible miss from Morata! The substitute shoots wide with the goal gaping after Ronaldo's cutback.

Good chance for Vela - Griezmann feeds the Mexican, who shows good perseverance to wriggle through and sees his right-footer tipped behind by Lopez.

From the corner, Griezmann is all alone six yards out, albeit with his back to goal, and glances over when he should do much better.

Carvajal bundles Jose Angel over in a decent area, culminating in a lengthy spell of Sociedad possesion from which De La Bella wins a corner.

And that's the last we'll see of Benzema today, as Alvaro Morata's introduction completes the afternoon's substitutions.

Benzema is fed very neatly by Isco's backheel, but drags wide from 20 yards.

Slack from Carvajal, who gives the ball away, but Arbeloa mops up well.

In truth, Madrid have been largely going through the motions in this half - but Ronaldo showed that he's pretty much capable of show-stoppers on demand in this kind of situation.

I believe this is Ronaldo's 23rd hat-trick for Real Madrid. 23rd. Incredible.

Amid the celebrations, Khedira is replaced by Isco.

Who were we kidding? Only one man was going to assume set-piece duties there, and Ronaldo curled in a superb 25-yarder in a position that is pretty much the equivalent of a penalty to him. Brilliant.

GOAL! Ronaldo's hat-trick - a superb free kick.

Obligatory Bale-watch by the way: we haven't really seen him at all in the second half. We might now though, as Modric is fouled on the edge of the area.