Two goals from
Raul Gonzalez helped league leaders
Real Madrid preserve their 100 percent home record with a comfortable 3-1 win over Racing Santander here on Saturday.
Raul and an own goal by Racing defender Sergio Sanchez put Real 2-0 ahead in just 10 minutes but the reigning Spanish champions then had to wait until the 70th minute before the Real captain got his second goal of the night.
A lapse of concentration let former Real striker Pedro Munitis get a consolation for Racing 17 minutes from time but it was too late for the visitors to stage a full recovery.
Racing came to the Spanish capital boasting the best defensive record in the Spanish first division but were powerless to resist the most lethal attack in la Liga.
Raul continued his series of scintillating performances by opening the scoring after just four minutes.
Real put together a well-worked move out of their own half involving Pepe, Marcelo and Robinho before Ruud van Nistelrooy provided the pass that found Raul unmarked.
He than had little problem sending his left foot shot past Racing's oncoming goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez from almost exactly the penalty spot.
Six minutes later, Real added their second strike, which will go down in the record books as a Sanchez own goal but it really belongs to Wesley Sneijder.
Julio Baptista, playing in the unusual position on the left side of the midfield, found Sneijder open on the left flank and the Dutch winger took the ball forward 20 metres before shooting through the legs of Tono.
The ball took a slight deflection and was spinning off for a corner but Sneijder darted around the prone Tono before firing across the face of the goal, and a retreating Sanchez could only bundle the ball into his own net.
Racing didn't throw in the towel though, and a rasping shot from Aldo Duscher two minutes later would have narrowed the deficit but for an outstanding save from Real keeper Iker Casillas.
After 32 minutes, Racing's Polish striker Euzebiusz Smolarek beat Casillas only to see his left foot shot hit the post.
Both sides had further chances to find the net in the second half before Raul got his eighth goal of the season with a free kick from 25 metres out after 70 minutes.
Racing got the consolation goal their hard work deserved three minutes later when Munitis, who was part of the Real squad that won the 2002 Champions League, scored from close range after a Mohammed Tchite pass.
Real now have 32 points from 14 games and a four advantage over second-placed Villarreal while Real's eternal rivals Barcelona are one point and one place further back, although the chasing pair both have a game in hand.
Champions League contenders Sevilla came crashing down to earth after their impressive 3-0 mid-week win over English Premiership leaders Arsenal in the Champions League when they went down 1-0 at newly-promoted Almeria.
Almeria's Peruvian defender Wilmar Acasiete got the only goal of the game with a header just before the whistle.
Sevilla had to play the majority of the second half with just 10 men after their Br azilian right back Daniel Alves received his second yellow card just after the break.
Villarreal will be looking to keep Real within grasping distance with three points at struggling Valladolid on Sunday, who have only won once at home this season. Barcelona are in action at local rivals Espanyol later on Saturday.
The Catalan club's coach Frank Rijkaard has decided to leave one-time superstar and two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho on the bench for the second successive game.
Against French side Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday, who held Barca to a 2-2 draw, Rijkaard decided to leave the Br azilian among the substitutes for the first time in nearly three years.
Espanyol have been one of the revelations of the season and currently lie fourth, just two points behind their neighbour.