However Lionel Messi scored for the sixth consecutive game as Barcelona tightened their grip in the title race with a 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao .

Ronaldo scored three goals in the second half, the pick being when he beat the offside trap to collect Karim Benzema’s perfectly weighted pass and dispatch it off the underside of the crossbar

For Barcelona , Paco Alcácer had already given the hosts the lead at the Nou Camp and the leaders went on to canter to a routine victory against a Bilbao side grateful they were not more soundly beaten.

The Argentina forward, fresh from his two goals in the midweek Champions League win against Chelsea, danced his way into the area before laying the ball off to Jordi Alba.

The defender reached the byline before cutting the ball back to Alcácer, who was left with a simple side‑footed finish past the Bilbao goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Ousmane Dembélé picked out his strike partner, who had been left unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, and Messi punished the visitors by drilling the ball unerringly into the bottom corner.

In Germany the runaway Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich , suffered only their third defeat of the season as the substitute Timo Werner grabbed an impressive 2-1 win for RB Leipzig .