Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 at home without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo to ensure it remained top of the Spanish league on Saturday.
Sociedad defender Aritz Elustondo headed in his first goal for the Basque club 36 seconds into the match, but James Rodriguez headed the hosts level in the third minute, and Madrid never looked back.
Sergio Ramos scored before halftime, and Benzema made it 3-1 soon after the break before he struck an exquisite second goal in the 76th.
Madrid opened a four-point gap over Barcelona, which hosts Villarreal on Sunday.Madrid also has a game in hand that it will play against Sevilla on Wednesday.
"We have to be more careful and not concede (early) goals because it's not the first time, but we managed to come back," Benzema said.
Third-place Atletico Madrid provisionally pulled level on points with Barcelona after Mario Mandzukic also grabbed a brace of early goals in its 3-1 victory at Eibar.
Later, Granada hosted Elche, while Cordoba played at Celta Vigo.
Ronaldo watched from the stands at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as he served the first of a two-game ban for kicking a Cordoba player in the last round.
His team didn't miss him, though, as David Moyes' Sociedad displayed little of the verve it relied on to rally for a stunning 4-2 victory over Madrid in August, before the arrival of the former Manchester United manager.
Only Geronimo Rulli's goalkeeping spared Sociedad a bigger defeat as it remained in 11th place and the only team yet to win away in the league this season.
Sociedad caught Madrid slow to start the game, as left back Yuri Berchiche charged up the pitch to win a corner kick, which Ruben Pardo sent into the area for Elustondo to thump in.
The European champions didn't take long to respond as Rodriguez slipped between Sociedad's pair of center backs to head in Marcelo's pass.
Dangerous early on, Sociedad never threatened after forward Carlos Vela hurt his right knee and had to be substituted in the 17th.
Rulli saved shots from Benzema and Rodriguez before turning back Benzema a second time, only for Ramos to blast in the ball and put Madrid in front for good.
With Ronaldo out, Gareth Bale was called on to take over the scoring load. But his eagerness got the best of him in the 40th when he intercepted Benzema's pass meant for Rodriguez and shot the ball wide with Rulli off his line.
Bale made amends after the restart when he worked a passing combination with Benzema before slipping the ball back for the striker to score.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti defended Bale, who has a growing reputation in Madridfor not sharing the ball.
"I don't want more from him. He played well," Ancelotti said. "It's true he missed two chances to score, but he assisted Benzema for the 3-1. He works for his teammates."
Benzema capped his strong showing with an unstoppable strike which bent around Rulli.
"I knew when I struck it the shot was good," Benzema said. "But I didn't know it was going to be so beautiful."
Atletico bounced back from its midweek elimination from the Copa del Rey to Barcelona with a commanding win under less than ideal playing conditions.
With the muddy field at Ipurua Stadium slowing down the ball and stopping several passes short of their recipients, Atletico smartly attacked through the air.
Antoine Griezmann tallied his 11th league goal in the seventh minute after Raul Garcia sent on a ball booted forward by Tiago Cardoso.
Griezmann then lobbed a ball across for Mandzukic to redirect into the net in the 23rd, and two minutes later the striker hit again for his 10th league goal after Eibar failed to clear the ball.
Federico Piovaccari got eight-place Eibar's goal one minute from time.