Sergio Ramos scored another crucial late goal to seal a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu this evening.
Madrid had looked on course for their first defeat since April heading into the closing stages, but two goals in the final six minutes saw them extend their unbeaten run to a club-record 35 matches and restore their six-point gap at the top of La Liga.
Zinedine Zidane's first match in charge of Los Blancos came at home to Deportivo and resulted in a 5-0 victory, but with no Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema in the squad this evening the hosts struggled to threaten such a convincing scoreline again.
The first chance did fall the way of Madrid, though, when Nacho found himself unmarked inside the box, only to be quickly closed down and see his shot deflect behind for a corner.
With Ronaldo and Bale both watching on there was a tussle for free kick rights when Madrid were awarded a set piece in a promising position, and it was Ramos who pulled rank before curling a 25-yard effort narrowly over the crossbar.
Madrid's best chance of the first half arrived shortly before the 30-minute mark when James Rodriguez was played clean through on goal, but he put his finish too close to the keeper, who made the save.
It was Deportivo who came closest to breaking the deadlock before the interval when Celso Borges glanced his header against the foot of the post before the ball bounced agonisingly too high for the visiting players following in.
If Zidane was looking for a player to provide a moment of magic in the absence of his biggest hitters, Alvaro Morata stepped up to the plate five minutes after the restart when he collected the ball 25 yards from goal and hit a fine strike on the turn past the keeper.
History beckoned for the league leaders, but Zidane's decision to rest players ahead of the Club World Cup looked like it may come back to haunt him when Deportivo turned the game on its head.
The equaliser came shortly after the hour mark when Carles Gil shrugged Casemiro off the ball before playing Joselu through, and the Stoke City loanee proceeded to lash a thunderous strike in off the underside of the crossbar.
Joselu, who failed to make the grade at Madrid earlier in his career, soon looked as though he had single-handedly put a major dent in their title hopes when he made it two goals in as many minutes, with Deportivo once again hitting the hosts on the break before the forward slipped his finish underneath Keylor Navas.
Any hopes of a famous first La Liga away win of the season for Deportivo were dampened 20 minutes later, though, as Madrid finally found the equaliser with six minutes remaining when Mariano Diaz glanced a Lucas Vazquez cross past a helpless Przemyslaw Tyton.
Tyton prevented things from getting worse in the first minute of stoppage time when he clawed away a looping Morata header, colliding with the post in the process and requiring treatment.
It was only a temporary reprieve for the visitors, though, as from the resulting corner Ramos rose highest in the area to flick his header home for the winner having also netted the last-gasp equaliser in El Clasico a week ago.
Deportivo did not have time for a response as they returned to losing ways, while Madrid were left celebrating a historic 35th consecutive game without defeat.
Madrid, who are now 20 matches unbeaten at the Bernabeu, will now travel to Japan to take part in the Club World Cup and will not be back in La Liga action until January.
Barney Corkhill
