Ronaldo scores 3 as Real Madrid drubs Malaga 4-0

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick in 15 first-half minutes as Real Madrid thrashed Malaga 4-0 in the Spanish league on Saturday.Angel Di Maria assisted fellow Argentina international Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo to get Madrid rolling, and the Portugal forward added two more to decide the game before halftime at La Rosaleda stadium.The win put Madrid provisionally two points ahead of Barcelona atop the standings before the defending champions late game against the undefeated Sevilla.Levante travels to Villarreal on Sunday looking to extend its best ever start with a sixth consecutive win that would keep it a point ahead of Madrid.It was big-spending Malagas first home loss and second in a row overall this season.Elsewhere, Sporting Gijon beat Granada 2-0 for its first win of the season, while Sergio Garcias second-half goal dropped the winless Racing Santander into last place as Espanyol won 1-0 for its second straight away victory.Expectations were high in Malaga after Qatari owner Sheik Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani spent €60 million to overhaul the squad this summer, but Madrid easily showed the Costa del Sol side is still far from challenging the leagues traditional powerhouse.