One lapse from the penalty spot didn�t deter Carlos Soler, who made amends with three penalties against Real Madrid. Soler saw his initial penalty attempt saved but felt confident enough to return for another try.

Then another, and then another. The young midfielder ended up converting three penalty kicks for his hat trick as Valencia ended its winless streak with a 4-1 win over Real Madrid in the Spanish league on Sunday.
�I had doubts for a moment but then I decided to take it again,� the 23-year-old Soler said. �It gave me confidence for the other ones as well.�

Statistics platform Opta said it was the first time a player had scored three penalties in a Spanish league game this century. The La Vanguardia Spanish daily said it was the first time three penalties were called against Madrid in a league game.

Real Sociedad stayed at the top with a 2-0 win against a virus-depleted Granada team which was filled with youth-squad players. Granada finished without the minimum of five registered first-team players set out in the regulations and could be punished for using an illegal lineup.