Gareth Bale made up for the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring twice to inspire Real Madrid to come back from two goals down and win 3-2 at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga yesterday.
Atletico Madrid kept up their title hopes with a 1-0 home victory over Malaga thanks to a deflected goal by substitute Angel Correa in the 62nd minute.
Coach Diego Simeone could be facing a three-game ban from the touchline after being sent off at halftime when a ball was thrown on to the pitch from the technical area.
Atletico are top on 82 points, one ahead of Real. Third-placed Barcelona, three points off the pace, play Sporting Gijon later on Saturday.
Top scorer Ronaldo missed his first league game of the season with a muscle strain and Real suffered another blow ahead of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City in midweek when Karim Benzema was injured against Rayo.
Real were 2-0 down inside 14 minutes after Adrian Embarba scored from close range and Venezuelan striker Miku pounced on more poor defending from the visitors.
Bale started the revival, heading in a 35th-minute corner before Zinedine Zidane’s side drew level six minutes after the break through substitute Lucas Vazquez.
Welshman Bale netted again nine minutes from time, collecting a misplaced pass from a Rayo defender before powering the ball past goalkeeper Juan Carlos.
“I’m very happy with him and he’s very happy at being able to make the difference,” Real coach Zidane told a news conference. “He’s a spectacular footballer and he demonstrated that today.”
Real have not lost to Rayo since 1997 and had thrashed their city neighbours 10-2 earlier this season.
Bale hit the post in the second minute but Rayo soon imposed themselves with former Manchester United player Bebe setting up the first goal.
He took on Danilo and Pepe before rolling the ball across for Embarba to score from six metres. A weak header from Raphael Varane allowed Miku to make it 2-0.
Bale’s header lifted them and Benzema had to be substituted in the 42nd minute, putting in doubt his chances of facing City on Tuesday.
The Frenchman was replaced by Vazquez who headed home Danilo’s cross at the far post and it was Bale who had the final say, intercepting the ball and racing into the box down the left  to strike the winner.
Correa settled a difficult game for Atletico against Malaga five minutes after coming off the bench, as his shot from the edge of the area was deflected into the far corner.
Simeone watched the second half from the stands. Moments before the interval a ball was thrown on the pitch from the Atletico technical area while Malaga set off on a counter attack.
Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz asked Simeone who had lobbed the ball on and sent the coach off after not getting an answer.