Real Madrid started without top scorer Karim Benzema, captain Sergio Ramos and record signing Eden Hazard on Saturday but claimed a scrappy 2-1 win over Sevilla that sent them above Barcelona and top of La Liga, AFP reports.
Casemiro's first double as a Real player proved the difference amid a three-goal flurry in the second half, during which Luuk de Jong had briefly pulled Sevilla level.
"Two goals for him is very unusual," said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.
His team were largely underwhelming at the Santiago Bernabeu, at times reverting to the stodgy days of last season when they struggled for goals under Julen Lopetegui, who was this time in the dug-out of Sevilla.
Yet with Benzema, Ramos and Hazard all missing from their starting line-up, this might be the kind of victory that could prove crucial to Madrid winning the title in May.
Sevilla stay fourth, eight points off the top.
Asked about the absentees, Zidane said: "It makes the win even more important. It's only three points but we needed them and we got them by suffering."
Barca can reclaim first place on Sunday by beating Granada at Camp Nou, where Quique Setien will be overseeing his debut game since being appointed coach early last week.
Setien has said he will not be satisfied if his team win while playing badly, but Zidane is likely to be less choosy.
His side are now 17 games unbeaten, a streak that included them winning the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia last weekend. Ramos, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, paraded the club's latest trophy on the pitch before kick-off.
Benzema came on in the second half after shaking off a dead leg but Ramos and Hazard need more time to recover.
Gareth Bale was not even in the squad, despite training on Friday. Bale missed the trip to Jeddah through illness.
"He picked up a knock the other day," said Zidane. "Only because of that."
