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Borussia Monchengladbach were 90 minutes away from ending Real Madrid's record of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages - 25 years and counting - but Karim Benzema's first-half brace sunk Marco Rose's side on MD6.
Nonetheless, Gladbach have also punched their ticket into the Round of 16 as Group B runners-up after Inter and Shakthar Donetsk played out a frustrating goalless draw in Milan.
Benzema couldn't believe his luck when he opened the scoring for Real Madrid after nine minutes, heading home from close range between two ball-watching Gladbach defenders to convert Lucas Vazquez's cross.
Alassane Plea has seven goals and six assists this term but lacked the composure to level the scoring under pressure from a retreating Sergio Ramos and the onrushing Thibaut Courtois.
His effort trickled wide of the far post and that miss proved decisive as Real Madrid could've made it 4-0 by half-time. Benzema doubled his tally with a similar finish just after the half-hour mark, powering another header beyond a helpless Yann Sommer.
Sommer made five saves, including one to push Luka Modric's goalbound effort onto the far post, as his Gladbach teammates wilted under Real Madrid's sustained periods of creative pressure. He could do nothing to stop the Croatia international from firing into the far corner four minutes later after combining with Benzema, though the emphatic strike was correctly disallowed for offside.
It was 2-0 at half-time and that's how it finished, though Real Madrid pushed for more goals despite sloppy play in possession at times and defensively, giving Gladbach hope of an unlikely comeback.
Plea missed another big chance but thankfully for the Frenchman, he had strayed offside beforehand. Meanwhile, Sommer made big saves to thwart Toni Kroos and Ramos.
The woodwork saved the visitors from a heavy defeat as Benzema and Vazquez were both denied second-half goals.
Gladbach started sluggishly but will be grateful that their off-night doesn't see them drop into the Europa League in 2021.
Without further ado, here's a look at five hits and flops from an eventful night in Madrid:
#5 Flop: Oscar Wendt (Gladbach)
No Gladbach player started particularly well but Oscar Wendt was quickly identified - fairly or otherwise - as the visitors' weak link after looking rather unconvincing in duels against Rodrygo and Vinicius Júnior.
He turned 35 in late October and looked every bit his age as far as decision-making and turn of pace was concerned: being reactive rather than adopting a proactive approach to defending the flanks.
This was probably typified by his role in Benzema's first goal as he was seemingly caught in two minds before sticking out a limp leg to try and throw Vazquez off course as he looked up and fired into the box. Rather than press him into a mistake or attempt a tackle, he let the winger-turned-full-back pick his spot and moments later, they were wheeling away to celebrate an easy opener.
Only Marcus Thuram recorded a worse pass success percentage (62.5%) than the Sweden international, who was wayward in possession (11 completed, 68.8% success), and most of Real Madrid's attacks came down his side of the pitch.
You could argue he didn't get adequate support from a retreating Thuram off-the-ball, but the forward had more defensive contributions (5) than him. He didn't do enough to earn Real Madrid's respect and was duly punished before being unsurprisingly replaced at half-time for a more mobile, younger alternative in Valentino Lazaro.
#4 Hit: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Alongside Casemiro and Toni Kroos as Real Madrid's midfield trio, Luka Modric was predictably classy without the eyecatching statistics to necessarily justify his place over the latter in this list.
Kroos made five key passes, 15/16 accurate long balls, and no starter had more than his 96.8% pass success (90 completed, 108 touches). Besides Florian Neuhaus, Gladbach's midfield was fairly underwhelming throughout so no one from the trident had to do much defensive work.
Modric was given a free-roam role to orchestrate through midfield in ways neither Casemiro nor Kroos rarely try because they can't hold a candle to him in that vein.
The use of his low centre of gravity, spatial awareness and ability to take players on - even at 35 - was critical in the build-up to multiple promising Real Madrid attacks here. The fact that he's been doing it for so long is why many critics have become desensitized to just how difficult a skill it is to master.
Watch the build-up to Real Madrid's second goal again, and you will see how he calmly eliminates a charging Wendt from the equation with a subtle two-touch manoevure then feeds Rodrygo.
He had a brilliant first-half finish chalked off for offside, just minutes after forcing Sommer into an important finger-tip stop to keep the visitors alive. No player completed more successful dribbles (4) and on another night, he'd have walked off the Alfredo di Stefano turf with a well-taken brace to his name.
#3 Flop: Lars Stindl (Gladbach)
Stefan Lainer was poor, with some baffling defensive positioning for both goals. While Plea had a rough night too, both could've been picked. Instead, Gladbach captain Lars Stindl was selected here, having not been noticeable for large periods.
The game's first yellow card came after 88 minutes for second-half sub Denis Zakaria, but Stindl had four fouls and went unpunished before being hooked with five minutes left for RB Leipzig loanee Hannes Wolf.
He had two key passes in a game of seemingly few chances for the visitors, though Real Madrid took their foot off the pedal and were giving away free-kicks, relinquishing possession cheaply for sustained periods to start the second half.
Although things didn't go his way, Thuram was trying and Plea did too. However, Kramer played too safe while Stindl was rather effective on both sides of the pitch.
Defensively, he made one tackle and interception with just 1/9 ground duels won - and was dribbled past on three occasions. He lost possession 11 times and squandered chances to create an opening for Gladbach at a time where they could've taken advantage of Real Madrid's subtle but visible defensive drop-off.
It was perhaps typified by his free-kick delivery after Ferland Mendy's needless foul. There were multiple players piling into the box but he wasted the chance, firing waywardly straight into Courtois' grateful gloves. Then minutes later, he tried a deft backheel but overcooked the pass - immediately moaning at Thuram and Plea for not running, though he'd made the mistake. Disappointing.
#2 Hit: Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid)
Pictures often illustrate all that needs to be said. In Vazquez's case, that's certainly true: the Real Madrid winger-turned-full-back was defensively aware and didn't back down on the infrequent occasions he needed to respond.
Thwarting Thuram and Plea as they lurked dangerously from time to time is easier said than done, considering the pair are both among the Bundesliga's top forwards.
He made three defensive interventions, committed four fouls - without punishment like Stindl - and proved he wasn't going to be bullied off-the-ball, even from an uncomfortable role at right-back.
Daniel Carvajal was named in the matchday squad but missed their last three matches (all competitions) with a muscle injury, though Zidane interestingly didn't choose him or Alvaro Odriozola to start here. This is a testament to the winger's determination to stay and fight for his place this season.
It's easy to forget that he was linked with a Premier League move over the summer months. The 29-year-old was a constant creative threat (five key passes) and picked the right time for his best individual display of 2020. He delivered a pinpoint cross for Benzema's first goal, while Sommer made an important save to deny him a second assist before half-time as Modric hit the post.
Crucially, Vazquez grew as the game wore on and with a bit more fortune, would've had more goal contributions to his name. He hit the woodwork after combining well alongside Benzema in transition, with a beautiful dummy leaving Nico Elvedi scrambling to recover.
Both he and Sommer could only watch as the ball cannoned back off the upright on an evening where the winger certainly boosted his stock in Zidane's eyes on both ends of the pitch.
#1 Hit: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
It was a landmark appearance for Karim Benzema, who ultimately proved Real Madrid's matchwinner in a game they simply couldn't afford to slip up in. As they did on Sunday at Sevilla though, Los Blancos earned a much-needed victory and had Karim to thank for that.
Given his perfectionist nature as a top centre-forward, he'd have been left ruing his misses rather than celebrating a well-taken brace. He could've had a first-half hat-trick but saw his deflected header flash wide of Sommer's far post.
He took both goals - almost identical headers - well from close range and pressed intently out of possession as Real Madrid looked to kill off the game as a contest early in the second half. When it didn't come, Gladbach grew in confidence but failed to make the game exciting from a neutral perspective, though they largely had the woodwork, and had Sommer to thank for it only being 2-0.
He was willing to drop deeper and help progress play from midfield, linking up well in the build-up phase with the Vazquez-Rodrygo pairing down the right-hand side. On another day, he'd have earned at least two assists for his endeavour - watching Vazquez hit the post and Rodrygo's effort flash narrowly wide.
The Frenchman also recorded five key passes and almost had his first hat-trick of the year late on but failed to get enough power on a header at the far post as Sommer smothered the effort. This was Zidane's 150th win as Real Madrid head coach, a statistic he'll be happy with - though contributions like Benzema's are invaluable.
He turns 33 next weekend and is showing no signs of slowing down as Real Madrid's focal point in attack - now the joint-top non-Spanish appearance maker alongside Roberto Carlos, a record he's poised to break at home to Atletico Madrid this Saturday.
He's now on 69 Champions League goals and as far as statistics are concerned, Benzema is finally starting to get his dues as Real Madrid's evergreen talisman.
Stats' source: SofaScore
