Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals to lead Real Madrid to a 4-2 win over Athletic Bilbao Saturday, provisionally lifting it into second place in the Spanish league. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the third minute before Javier Eraso quickly leveled for the Basques in a back-and-forth first half at the Santiago Bernabeu that finished with James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos giving Madrid a 3-1 lead at halftime. Madrid defender Raphael Varane, whose error led to Eraso's goal, was sent off in the 83rd after earning identical bookings for twice thrusting his forearm into Aritz Aduriz's head while contesting a high ball. Despite being a man down, Ronaldo found the net again in the 87th to move past Barcelona's Luis Suarez as the competition's leading scorer with 21 goals this season. Gorka Elustondo headed in Bilbao's second goal in the 90th. Madrid's fourth win in as many home matches under coach Zinedine Zidane — by a combined score of 20-2 — lifted it two points ahead of Atletico Madrid before it visits Getafe Sunday. Leader Barcelona is one point ahead of Madrid with two matches to play: against Celta Sunday and at Sporting Gijon Wednesday. Zidane will make his European coaching debut Wednesday when Madrid visits Roma in the Champions League's round of 16. Dortmund provisionally cut Bundesliga gap Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored for Borussia Dortmund to labor to a 1-0 win over bottom side Hannover and provisionally cut Bayern Munich's Bundesliga lead to five points Saturday. Dortmund was forced to be patient against Hannover's defensive set-up before Mkhitaryan broke the deadlock in the 57th when he saw his chance and let fly inside the far post. Bayern can restore its eight-point lead with a win at Augsburg Sunday. Hoffenheim drew 1-1 at Werder Bremen in Julian Nagelsmann's first game in charge of the visitors. The 28-year-old Nagelsmann is the youngest coach ever in the Bundesliga. Also, Stuttgart upset third-placed Hertha Berlin 2-0, Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to win 2-1 at Darmstadt, and Wolfsburg beat Ingolstadt 2-0. — Agencies
