Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo missed one penalty before converting a second spot kick and adding another goal to help Real Madrid beat an injury-ravaged Real Sociedad 3-1 and take some pressure off their beleaguered coach on Wednesday.
Ronaldo scored in each half to put the hosts ahead, while Sociedad substitute Bruma equalized shortly after halftime.
Rafa Benitez was jeered by a segment of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd for Madrid's erratic form this season when the coach's name was announced before the match, but the victory gave Madrid a provisional one-point lead of the Spanish league before Barcelona's and Atletico Madrid's late matches. Barcelona also has another match to play.
Both Sociedad midfielder Sergio Canales and team top scorer Imanol Agirretxe were carried off on stretchers in the first half.
The Basque club said preliminary tests show Canales, who has had two serious knee injuries, appears to have torn ligaments in his left knee. Agirretxe suffered a left ankle sprain when goalkeeper Keylor Navas slammed into him.
Madrid started strong and were kept from an early goal only by the goalkeeping of Geronimo Rulli, who made three saves before Ronaldo wasted his first chance from the penalty spot. Sociedad's Yuri Berchiche was whistled for a foul after light contact with Karim Benzema in the area, but Ronaldo blasted his shot well over the bar.
Ronaldo didn't miss on his second opportunity, striking the ball into the corner of the net moments before the interval, after a pass hit Berichiche's leg before ricocheting off his arm on the edge of the box.
Bruma, who went on after Agirretxe was helped off in the 14th minute, made it 1-1 when he curled a strike just inside the far post four minutes after the break.
The winger continued to cause Madrid trouble and Sociedad were searching for a second goal when Ronaldo latched onto Marcelo's corner kick and threaded a low volley through the crowded area an hour in.
He drew level with Barcelona's Neymar as the competition's top scorer with 14 goals this season.
Substitute Lucas Vazquez rounded off Madrid's win with a goal from Gareth Bale's pass.
Also, Malaga left Levante in last place with a 1-0 win to remain unbeaten in five rounds.
Later, it was: Barcelona vs. Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano vs. Atletico Madrid, Sevilla vs. Espanyol, Eibar vs. Sporting Gijon, Celta Vigo vs. Athletic Bilbao, Getafe vs. Deportivo La Coruna, and Las Palmas vs. Granada.
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