Real Madrid were back to winning ways last night with a 5-1 thumping win over Real Sociedad.

Two goals each from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the Madrid scoresheet.

The league leaders had dropped points at home to Malaga and away at Villarreal in the past six days, but any lingering doubts from those games were extinguished within seven minutes as Gonzalo Higuain swept home Benzema's pass.

Ronaldo made it two just after the half hour as he latched onto Kaka's through ball to calmly slot past Claudio Bravo for his 100th Primera Division goal, and Benzema added a third with a wonderful lob over Bravo five minutes before the break.

Xabi Prieto's deflected effort pulled a goal back for the visitors a minute later.

But Real continued to dominate and Benzema and Ronaldo doubled their tallies after the break thanks to more great build-up play from Sami Khedira and Higuain respectively.