Real Madrid 3-0 Villarreal

Real Madrid striker Benzema has scored more opening goals than any other player in La Liga this season

Real Madrid kept pace with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga by comfortably beating fourth-placed Villarreal at the Bernabeu.

Striker Karim Benzema instinctively headed Villarreal keeper Sergio Asenjo's parry back into an empty net to give Real a 1-0 lead at the break.

Lucas Vazquez drilled in a low second, before Luka Modric slid in to wrap up Real's eighth straight La Liga win.

Third-placed Real are a point behind the top two with four games left.

But there was a late concern for coach Zinedine Zidane when Cristiano Ronaldo limped off in injury-time.

Relive the action from Wednesday's La Liga games

Real knew they needed a victory to maintain their push for a first La Liga title since 2012 after Barca ended their three-match winless run by thumping Deportivo and Atletico edged past fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao.

And they responded with an efficient display against a toothless Villarreal side.

Real had dominated without stretching away keeper Asenjo, finally making their superiority count through Benzema's 27th goal of the season.

Vazquez, given a rare start as Gareth Bale missed out with a slight back injury, took advantage of his opportunity by converting Benzema's neat lay-off after the break.

Real never looked like letting Villarreal back into the game, sealing a routine victory through Croatia midfielder Modric.

Madrid played the final few minutes with 10 men after Cristiano Ronaldo was injured