Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game

Real Madrid maintained their fine run of form with a resounding 5-0 victory at home to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored another hat-trick—his third in four league matches—and Karim Benzema added a brace for Real, who won their fourth straight league match after stumbling early in the season.

The win takes Real up to fourth place, just four points behind leaders Barcelona heading into the international break.

Here are our choices for winners and losers from the match.

Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo

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Cristiano Ronaldo can do no wrong at the moment. Entering Sunday's game, he had scored 11 times in his last 10 matches against Athletic. That ratio is now 14 in 11—and it's hardly his most impressive stat.

With three more goals against Athletic, he has now netted 13 times in six league appearances, per WhoScored.com.

The hat-trick was his 22nd in La Liga, tied for the most ever, per ESPN FC on Twitter. Even more impressive, he has scored three or more goals in three of his last four league appearances.

So impressive is Ronaldo's current run of form that journalist Sid Lowe noted via Twitter: "Ronaldo has always been brilliant, but last eighteen months or so (barring injured WC and final few weeks of season) he's been ridiculous."

On this form, how can anyone—even Lionel Messi—take the Ballon d'Or away from Ronaldo?

Loser: Athletic Bilbao's Ongoing Form

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Sunday's loss dropped Athletic one more spot to 19th, level on points with bottom club Deportivo La Coruna.

Ernesto Valverde's side has lost four of five league matches, scoring just one goal in the process. On the season, Athletic have netted only four times, tied for fewest in the league.

It seems unthinkable to consider the possibility of relegation—Athletic have never suffered that fate—but unless something changes, it is indeed possible.

Winner: Karim Benzema

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Under pressure? Hardly.

Karim Benzema scored twice and turned in an excellent performance at the top of Real Madrid's formation. The goals were his first since the opening day of the season, but after netting against Basel midweek in the UEFA Champions League, Benzema appears to be back on track.

So much for the notion that the French striker was underperforming.

"Karim isn't under pressure to score goals," Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti recently told reporters, per Marca. "His job is to work to help the team play better and give us solutions in attack."

Fortunately for Real, he did that in addition to scoring goals on Sunday.

Winner: Iker Casillas

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Goalkeeper Iker Casillas was another player who has drawn criticism of late, but the 33-year-old played well against Athletic and, more importantly, kept a clean sheet.

The veteran stopper did not have an especially busy night, but he did well to tip over Iker Muniain's dipping volley in the 23rd minute. He made another nice save on Ibai Gomez in the 58th minute and preserved the clean sheet with a goal-line stop 20 minutes later.

After struggling at the World Cup with Spain, Casillas has now posted back-to-back clean sheets in the league. Real Madrid will be hoping for more.

Winner: Gorka Iraizoz

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Iker Casillas was not the only goalkeeper who performed well at the Bernabeu on Sunday. Athletic's Gorka Iraizoz excelled in the visitors' net, despite what the scoreline might suggest.

Admittedly, Iraizoz conceded five goals, but Real Madrid were irresistible in the attacking third. Iraizoz made several good stops, especially against Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the second half, to prevent the scoreline from becoming truly outlandish.

Loser: Real Madrid's Ability to Stay Onside

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Real Madrid played a nearly flawless match. Carlo Ancelotti's side scored five times, frequently tearing through Athletic's defence, and kept a clean sheet at their own end.

But if there was one concern, however pedantic it might be, it was that Real were called offside nine times, per WhoScored.com. In the first half alone, the linesman raised his flag seven times.

The final scoreline renders all that almost entirely inconsequential, but Gareth Bale did have a goal ruled out in the second half for offside.

Again, though, it is only a minor concern. No damage was done on this occasion, and Real Madrid now head into the international break full of confidence.