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Real Madrid climbed to 4th place in the La Liga table with a hard-fought win away to the Anoeta, defeating Real Sociedad with a 3-1 scoreline.'
Borja Mayoral opened the scoring for the visitors in the 19th minute, before Kevin Rodrigues scored at both ends to give Madrid a 2-1 lead going into the break. Gareth Bale made certain of all three points with a goal in the 61st minute.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 The luck of champions
Zinedine Zidane's side have an unnerving quality about them - so much so that even though they had surrendered a 7 point lead to Barcelona ahead of the game, they are still considered favourites to lift the La Liga crown.
Perhaps they know that they have the luck of champions.
The outcome of this game, and indeed, maybe even the title race (Yes, I know it is September) might have hinged on a 15 second spell in the second half.
Had Kevin Rodrigues' shot been an inch lower, he would have had a brace and Real Madrid would have been staring at a defeat - coupled with all of their injury and suspension troubles, we could have witnessed a real panic start to set in.
As it turned out, Kevin's shot hit the crossbar and his reward for tracking back all the way was to turn Mayoral's cross into his own net.
Football, as ever, remains a game of inches.
#2 Borja Mayoral takes his chance
Despite the fact that Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were injured it was still a shock to see Borja Mayoral's name in the Zinedine Zidane's teamsheet ahead of the game. The youngster barely managed to get a game for Wolfsburg while on loan last season, and did not impress in the few minutes he was afforded prior to this.
Well, things are very different now.
The Spanish striker's 1st goal for the club arrived at a crucial time, as his predatory instincts in the box resulted in the opening goal.
The second goal had the best and worst of Mayoral - he led a 2-on-1 counter-attack with great pace, but a fluffed touch meant the momentum was lost. He still persevered, found a yard of space and managed to put in a low, telling cross which was turned in by the unfortunate Kevin Rodrigues.
However, caution should be advised before Madridistas start clamouring for Mayoral to replace Benzema - the latter is undoubtedly the better player.
#3 The scoreline was harsh on Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad came into this game chasing their best ever start to a La Liga season, but given their record when Real Madrid come to town, Eusebio Sacristan should perhaps have tried a more circumspect style of play.
Thankfully, he didn't and we were witness to an end-to-end game that Sociedad were truly competitive in for large spells of the game.
The Basque side have a deep squad, bringing on players with the quality of Juanmi, Carlos Vela and Agirretxe as they chased the game.
The hosts were good value for their money, and although the crowd at the Anoeta left with the stadium reverberating with boos and jeers, it was for the refereeing performance - their side were not deserving of being at the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.
Curiously enough, Sociedad are still 3rd in the table, a place above Real Madrid, so they ought to still have hopes of a finish in the Champions League spots.
#4 Gareth Bale is back! Maybe..
Prior to the game, it was fairly obvious that Gareth Bale loves the Anoeta:
The love affair continued, and in some style too.
When Isco chipped a lovely long ball to Gareth Bale, it was as if we were witness to the same player who was brought in for €100 million. The Welshman chased the ball, controlled it with a touch to get him away from his defender and then cheekily lifted it over the advancing Rulli.
It was classic Bale, and ought to remind his fans of the qualities he brings to the Real Madrid squad. To top it off, the Welshman now has a little piece of La Liga history to call his own.
Hopefully, this is a catalyst for the Welshman to reverse the trend of his Madrid career. While Asensio may be the darling of the Bernabeu at the moment, Bale's task is simple - score and the Madridistas' jeers will be turned to cheers.
#5 This record-breaking team is something else
Real Madrid have always been a club that prides itself on trophies, but the number of records that Zinedine Zidane's vintage has managed to break is simply astounding. Last season was all about the longest unbeaten streak ever managed by a Spanish team, and this time around it is Real Madrid's record of scoring.
Manuel Pellegrini was the last manager to prevent Madrid from scoring, and since then Los Blancos have scored in a stunning 73 consecutive games, now having equalled the record set by Pele's Santos side from 1961 to 1963.
Up next is Real Betis at home, and what are the odds on Cristiano Ronaldo returning from his ban to break the record?
While scoring feats are certainly impressive, Madrid also broke a club record tonight:
For all the criticism that La Liga unfairly receives, its minnows have rarely been a tough place to come to - something that is not the case this season. To manage 11 consecutive away wins is deeply impressive, and surely speaks to Madrid's confidence levels at the moment.
They may be 4th in the table, but I would not bet against Real Madrid being 1st come May 2018.
