Ronaldo hat-trick lifts Real Madrid 10 points clear in Spain

February 12, 2012 -- Updated 2350 GMT (0750 HKT)

Cristiano Ronado celebrates on his way to a hat-trick in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Real Madrid beat Levante 4-2 in La Liga clash
• Cristiano Ronaldo grabs his sixth hat-trick of season
• Victory lifts them 10 points clear of champions Barcelona
• Valencia consolidate third with 4-0 win over Sporting Gijon

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick as Real Madrid went 10 points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona in Spain with a 4-2 home win over Levante Sunday.
The victory over fourth-placed Levante follows a 3-2 defeat for champions Barcelona at Osasuna Saturday and has left Real in the driving seat to win the La Liga title.
Ronaldo took his league tally to 27 goals with another superb display, but Gustavo Cabral gave Levante a surprise early lead in the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo leveled from the penalty spot following a handball by Vicente Iborra, who was also sent off for his second yellow card.
The Portuguese star headed home a Gonzalo Higuain cross after 49 minutes and then rounded out his sixth hat-trick of the season with a thunderous drive.
Brave Levante pulled one back through Arouna Kone header but Karim Benzema sealed three points for Jose Mourinho's men with a fourth after 65 minutes.
Mourinho cautioned against claiming the title was already in their hands after opening such a big gap over Barca.
"The mathematics tell us that to consider this league won, it's necessary to get another 39 points, that's 13 wins," he told AFP.
Earlier, Valencia moved eight points clear of the chasing pack in third place with a 4-0 victory over struggling Sporting Gijon, their first league win in five.