Real Madrid returned to the top of La Liga after winning a testing away match against Osasuna 3-1 on Saturday thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, the midfielder Isco and the substitute Lucas Vázquez.

Sergio León equalised Ronaldo’s 24th-minute opener in the 33rd minute after the defender Tano had been carried off with a double fracture of the leg.

Luis Suárez double helps rampant Barcelona to easy victory over Alavés Read more

Isco restored Real’s lead in the 62nd minute and Zinedine Zidane’s side added a third through Vázquez with the last kick of the game. The Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas needed to produce a string of quality saves to preserve their advantage before Vázquez sealed only a second league win in seven visits to the perennial La Liga strugglers.

Real, who have two games in hand, top the standings on 49 points, leapfrogging Barcelona on 48 after the champions thrashed Alavés 6-0. Zidane’s side have two games in hand on their arch rivals as they bid to win the title for the first time since 2012.

“I said we would have difficulties here, and that was so,” the Real coach, Zinedine Zidane, said. “There isn’t such a big difference between the leader and the last-place team. We know we can’t relax and have to keep this going until the end.”