Real Madrid 3 - Deportivo 1

Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Sergio Ramos, Metzelder, Marcelo; Higuaín (Sneijder 46'), Gago, Guti, Robinho (Balboa 90'); Saviola (Raúl 65'), Van Nistelrooy. 4-4-2.
Deportivo: Dudu Aouate; Manuel Pablo, Piscu, Coloccini, Filipe; De Guzmán (Taborda 86'), Sergio; Juan Rodríguez (Bodipo 72'), Verdú, Guardado; Xisco (Riki 60'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Michel Salgado, Gago, Robinho, Saviola for Cannavaro, Diarra, Raúl, Sneijder / Deportivo: No change.

Goals:
0-1. 01. Xisco. Picked up Guardado cross and rounded Metzelder to score.
1-1. 07. Van Nistelrooy (penalty). After Van Nistelrooy tripped by Guardado.
2-1. 78. Raúl. Steered shot past Aouate from Van Nistelrooy return pass.
3-1. 89. Robinho. Collected Guti pass and beat two defenders to shoot into net.

Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of the table to two points after a 3-1 victory over Deportivo. Bernd Schuster's side went behind with just over a minute on the clock when Xisco took advantage of a sleepy defence to beat Casillas, but they were back level five minutes later when Van Nistelrooy converted a penalty after Guardado brought him down.

For a few minutes Depor were looking good, Verdú in particular causing some problems for Casillas. But either side of half time the locals could have gone ahead, Aoaute having to keep out Sergio Ramos and Van Nistelrooy.

When Juan Rodríguez and Xisco went close though Schuster made his second change, bringing on Raúl who had been rested at the start. And together with an excellent Guti he made the difference, the two combining with Van Nistelrooy for the team captain to score his side's second.

Depor were left with ten men a few minutes later when Sergio picked up a second booking, and Robinho rounded things off in the last minute after picking up another incisive Guti pass to leave two defenders for dead before poking the ball into an empty net.