Real Madrid secured three much-needed points with a 4-3 win over Real Sociedad in the Spanish capital on Sunday.
They made the best possible start when Karim Benzema found the back of the net early on, but they were reduced to 10 men moments later when Adan was dismissed for a foul on Carlos Vela, with Xabi Prieto equalising from the penalty spot.
Madrid were back ahead after 35 minutes when Sami Khedira converted from close range, but another Prieto strike levelled the scores before the interval.
Cristiano Ronaldo put Madrid back ahead just past the hour mark, however, and he added his second moments later to send his side 4-2 ahead.
The action was not finished there as Prieto added his third for the away side moments later, but it was not enough to earn a point.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Real Madrid:
Shots: 22
On target: 9
Possession: 43%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12
Real Sociedad:
Shots: 13
On target: 5
Possession: 57%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 10
Was the result fair?
You would have to say yes. Madrid were not great this evening, make no mistake about that, but they capitalised on a poor second half from the away side. You felt that Sociedad would push on after the interval, but they failed to take control of the possession. They will never get a better chance to take all three points from the home of the Spanish champions.
Real Madrid's performance
7/10. Madrid started the match in perfect fashion as they took the lead, but it all went horribly wrong when they were reduced to 10 men. However, they continued to dominate despite the numerical disadvantage and you always felt that they would take all three points from the match. It was a patched-up defence, but their attacking talent bailed them out.
Real Sociedad's performance
6/10. It is hard to criticise a side that scored three goals at the Bernabeu, but they had a real chance to take something from this match and failed. They scored against the run of play on each occasion, but failed to really push on. Even when they scored their third 15 minutes from time, it never seemed likely that they would gain something from the match.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Xavi Prieto: Three goals at the Bernabeu, but the midfielder ended up on the losing side. His team were poor for large spells of the second period, but he always wanted the ball and his energy around the park put some of his teammates to shame.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Adan will be made the scapegoat for Sociedad's opening goal, but Ricardo Carvalho had a horror show in the build-up as he allowed Vela to dart into the penalty area unchallenged. The Portuguese has played little football this season and it certainly showed at times.
Referee performance
Ignacio Iglesias had a busy 90 minutes of football. He rightly awarded a penalty to Sociedad early on, but it was perhaps harsh to dismiss Adan with defenders on the cover. However, he dealt with the pressure well on an thrilling evening in the Spanish capital.
What next?
Real Madrid: Madrid will attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday before they travel to Osasuna in the league next weekend.
Real Sociedad: Sociedad were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the early stages and therefore have a free week. Their next league clash is at home to Deportivo La Coruna next Sunday.
Matt Law
