A second-string Real Madrid side scored four first-half goals to earn a convincing 4-0 win over relegated Granada at Los Carmenes on Saturday evening.

Zinedine Zidane again rotated his squad by making nine changes to his starting lineup, but it proved to be plain sailing for Los Blancos thanks to a strong showing in the opening 35 minutes.

Two of the players looking to force their way into the team, James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata, netted twice apiece to condemn Tony Adams's Granada side to a 24th defeat of the season.

Madrid are now level on points at the top of the table with Barcelona, who beat Villarreal 4-1 earlier in the day.

It took just three minutes for Rodriguez to get the visitors up and running, as he diverted Lucas Vazquez's cross into the back of the net from close range.

The second arrived soon after, this time when the Colombian met Fabio Coentrao's cross from the left with his head to put his side well on course for a third successive league win.

Madrid toiled away and were rewarded with a third on the half-hour mark thanks to a fine first-time finish from Morata, who found the target via the underside of the crossbar.

Every chance was seemingly leading to a goal for the Champions League semi-finalists, with Morata joining Rodriguez in scoring a brace by twisting and slamming the ball past Guillermo Ochoa.

Vazquez attempted to join the party before the interval, sending a shot off the bar after cutting inside from the left.

Danilo also picked out the post in the second half following some good work from substitute Karim Benzema, while Sergio Ramos was denied by Ochoa with his powerful header.

Ramos somehow missed from five yards out on the hour and Vazquez should have done better to beat Ochoa, as Madrid failed to build on their advantage.

Chances also came and went for Morata and Benzema late on, but in the end they barely had to move into second gear on the easiest of nights for Zidane's men.