Real Madrid extended their winning run to 13 games with a comfortable 5-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos had Real 2-0 up but an error from James Rodriguez allowed Alberto Bueno to score and give the visitors some hope at the break. That would not last long, though, as second-half goals from Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Carlo Ancelotti's men regain their two-point lead at the top of the Primera Division.
The game got off to a timid start but was brought to life in the ninth minute as Bale notched his fifth league goal of the season. Ronaldo took control of the ball 25 yards out and fed Kroos on the right who supplied a low cross across the face of goal for Bale to easily slot home.
Rayo fought back and the home side had to scramble desperately to clear a corner before Gael Kakuta fired wide from distance. Keylor Navas was called upon to make two saves in a minute as the visitors put up solid resistance but Benzema headed against the bar from a corner and it was a set-piece that brought Real's second.
Rodriguez supplied the corner and Ramos volleyed home off his knee to double the lead five minutes before the break. The two-goal deficit would last just four minutes, however, courtesy of a calamitous error from Rodriguez.