Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos'sgoals kept Real Madrid on Barcelona's tail in La Liga with a 2-0 win againstAthletic Bilbao on Sunday.
After the Catalans had beaten Getafe 1-0, champions Madrid won a tight clashat the San Mames to remain three points behind their rivals.
Benzema broke the deadlock with a superb volley in the first half while Kroosfizzed home the second late on to kill off Athletic's hopes.
After losing the Spanish Super Cup to Barcelona last weekend, anxiety hadincreased in the capital, but a stirring Copa del Rey comeback againstVillarreal on Thursday settled nerves.
This victory in Bilbao will reassure Los Blancos fans further, ahead of theirderby clash in the cup with Atletico Madrid next week.
"It's clear that the team is defending well again, (we were) compact, solid,"Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told DAZN.
"With us ahead in the game we needed to defend and we did it well. We did notgive things away and in the end we won." Madrid had let in eight goals in their previous four games across allcompetitions, but despite the injury absences of David Alaba and AurelienTchouameni, they were far more sturdy in the Basque Country.
Anticipating a physical clash with the Basques, Ancelotti benched midfieldstalwarts Luka Modric and Kroos, opting to line up with Eduardo Camavinga andFede Valverde as part of his central trio.
Dani Ceballos, Nacho Fernandez and Marco Asensio also started after theirfine performances against Villarreal.
Athletic started well and Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tipped awayAitor Paredes's dangerous header.
