MADRID: Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal celebrates with Sergio Ramos after Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak scores an own goal during their La Liga match at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Madrid on Saturday
Real Madrid showed why they are Liga champions with a convincing 2-0 home win over Atletico Madrid in the derby on Saturday to end the pacesetters' unbeaten start to the league season.
Real deservedly took the lead in the 15th minute when Casemiro headed home from a corner, leaving Atletico behind for the first time in their 11th league game of the season.
Dani Carvajal put Zinedine Zidane's Real side further at ease with a stunning strike in the 63rd minute which came off the post and into the net off keeper Jan Oblak for an own goal.
Atletico still lead the standings on 26 points, while Real climbed to third and closed the gap on their city rivals to three points, although Diego Simeone's side have a game in hand.
The result also means second-placed Real Sociedad can reclaim top spot if they beat Eibar on Sunday.
Atletico were utterly outplayed by champions Real and did not have any attempts on goal in the first half, while they failed to even manage a shot on target until the 80th minute, when Saul Niguez's header was saved by Thibaut Courtois.
"We went all out to win the game from the start, we drowned them in their own half," said Carvajal.
The home side were boosted by the return of first-choice right back Carvajal but Zidane also rewarded Lucas Vazquez for his outstanding efforts in deputising for the defender and deployed him as a right winger.
The move gave Real extra intensity and work rate and Atletico could barely cope with their whirlwind start, as Karim Benzema forced Oblak to tip a stinging shot onto the post and moments latter narrowly failed to connect with a cross.
The hosts continued to dominate the first half and Simeone sprung a triple change at the interval in a bid to give his side some control of a match that was slipping from their grasp.
In other results on the night, Sevilla edged Getafe 1-0 with a late own-goal by defender Xabier Etxeita. Manu Vallejo also scored late to salvage a point for Valencia in a 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao, which had overcome an early deficit at Mestalla Stadium. Agencies