Real Madrid 2 - Atlético Madrid 0

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Pavón, Raúl Bravo, Roberto Carlos (Solari 90'); Beckham, Iván Helguera; Figo, Raúl (Guti 83'), Zidane; Ronaldo (Portillo 88'). 4-2-3-1.
Atlético: Burgos; Gaspar, Lequi, Simeone, Sergi; Novo, De los Santos, Ibagaza, Musampa (Rodrigo 60'); Fernando Torres, Nikolaidis (Paunovic 60'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Madrid: Roberto Carlos, Figo, Zidane for Cambiasso, Guti, Solari / Atlético: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 01. Ronaldo. Picked up Roberto Carlos pass and ran on to shoot past Burgos.
2-0. 20. Raúl. Connected with long Beckham cross to head over advancing keeper.

Real Madrid moved back to the top of the table after a 2-0 win over Atlético in the Madrid derby. There was a lot of speculation before the game as to which of the two strikers, Ronaldo and Fernando Torres, would take the honours, but in the end it was no contest. Ronaldo ended the debate with only thirteen seconds on the clock with the fastest goal in the league to date, picking up a Roberto Carlos pass and running on to clip the ball past the advancing Burgos. And the Brazilian striker could have had a second later on if the woodwork had not kept him out.

Madrid moved further ahead in the twentieth minute when Raúl got on the end of Beckham's long cross to head over the top of Burgos, the eccentric keeper making things easier for him with a hopeless charge out of his goal. After that it was easy going, Carlos Queiroz instructing his players to take it easy with one eye on next Saturday's big game against Barcelona.

Fernando Torres went close later in the first half, put off at the last minute by a Raúl Bravo challenge which was close to being a penalty, but otherwise he hardly featured. Manzano brought on Rodrigo and Paunovic on the hour mark and both made their mark, the former bringing a good save out of Casillas and the latter wasting a header after Casillas overcommitted himself. But the game was in the bag, making it seven home wins out of seven for the reigning league champions.