Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and passed the landmark of 300 club goals as Real Madrid put a turbulent week behind them with a 4-0 win at home to Getafe in La Liga on Sunday to close to within four points of second-placed Atletico Madrid.
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The buildup to the game at the Bernabeu had been dominated by a report in Marca sports daily that said captains Iker Casilas and Sergio Ramos had threatened to leave unless coach Jose Mourinho was sacked.
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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez however debunked the news and accused the newspaper of lying and the Spanish champions let their football do the talking with a comfortable victory against their City rivals.
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Mourinho, who turned 50 on saturday, left several key players out of his starting lineup, including Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, and Real ensured they broke through a determined Getafe defence.