Real Madrid woke from their slumber with a three-goal blast at the start of the second half as they came back to beat lowly Real Mallorca 5-2 in La Liga on Saturday.
Third from bottom Mallorca twice went in front with headers against a seemingly distracted Madrid at the Bernabeu before the hosts rallied.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Gonzalo Higuain, with his second of the game, netted in a six-minute spell and substitute Karim Benzema notched a fifth goal at the end to leave coach Jose Mourinho's side in second place with 61 points and 10 games left.
A seventh straight victory in all competitions left the champions 10 points behind leaders Barcelona who host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
French winger Antoine Griezmann scored twice, the second with a spectacular volley, as Real Sociedad battered visiting Real Valladolid 4-1 to go fourth with 47 points.
Sociedad are 10 points behind third-placed Atletico Madrid, who visit Osasuna on Sunday, and two ahead of Valencia who climbed to fifth with a 3-0 win over 10-man Real Betis.
Valencia took the lead with a Roberto Soldado penalty in the 16th minute, after Betis defender Antonio Amaya fouled him on the edge of the area and was sent off.
Five minutes from time Betis defender Paulao turned a Sergio Canales cross into his own net and Jonas completed the scoring with a curling shot at the end.
Getafe are eighth with 42 points, behind seventh-placed Betis, after Borja scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao.
Mallorca struck first at the Bernabeu when the lively Giovani dos Santos whipped in a cross and Emilio Nsue nodded the ball in from the edge of the area in the sixth minute.
On Sunday, Malaga’s joy at qualifying for the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time was cut short when Espanyol condemned them to a 2-0 home defeat.
Manuel Pellegrini's side, on their first venture into Europe's top club competition, came back to beat Porto 2-1 on aggregate at a festive Rosaleda on Wednesday, but they struggled against a well-organised Espanyol.
Goalkeeper Willy Caballero, the rock upon which much of their success has been built this season, made a rare mistake when he fumbled a corner in the 49th minute and Diego Colotto volleyed the visitors in front against the run of play.
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