The Spanish giants entered the game 14 points behind rampant league leaders Barcelona. The pressure to win was therefore intense but Cristiano Ronaldo's opener in the 16th minute eased matters for the hosts.
In the second period, the iconic Portuguese hit the woodwork twice - first through another free-kick and then from a tight angle shot. Man-of-the-match Cristiano Ronaldo also created Real Madrid's second goal, scored by Mesut Ozil inside the 65th minute.
A pair of goals was enough for Los Blancos to dismantle their city rivals, Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid closed the gap against their neighbours to five points. At the Camp Nou, Barcelona trounced Athletic Bilbao 5-1 with a double from 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Lionel Messi.
The highlight of the night however remains Cristiano Ronaldo's powerful long-range free-kick against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
