Real Madrid recovered from a goal down to beat Cadiz 3-1 thanks to spectacular strikes by Roberto Carlos and David Beckham and a breathtaking effort from Robinho in their Primera Liga match at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real looked to be in trouble after the modest Andalucians had grabbed the lead 10 minutes into the second half when striker Alexandre Medina steered home past keeper Iker Casillas.
But the home side turned the game on its head with two set-piece goals in four minutes, the first a Roberto Carlos rocket shot and the second a sweetly struck Beckham curler.
Robinho, who has failed to live up to his Galactico billing since joining Real from Santos at the start of the season, capped a much-improved performance with an impressive dipping lob seven minutes from time.
The win, Real's second in five league games, lifted them to third place, level on points with Valencia and 10 behind reigning champions and leaders Barcelona, who host basement side Alaves at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
Earlier, an aggressive Atletico Madrid earned their first win in 11 league games after goals from Maxi Rodriguez and Fernando Torres gave them a 2-0 win at Real Zaragoza.
Maxi scored just before the half hour when he poked a shot under advancing keeper Cesar after a great run down the right and then won a penalty on the hour after another fine raid down the flank.
Leading striker Torres sent Cesar the wrong way with his spot kick as Atletico produced a determined and gritty display to inflict a first defeat in seven league matches on Zaragoza, who put them out of the King's Cup in midweek.
It was also a first win for Atletico's new coach Pepe Murcia who took charge when Carlos Bianchi was sacked this month.
AMBITIOUS START
Cadiz, accompanied by over 5,000 raucous fans, made an ambitious start as they laid siege to Real's area.
The home side responded well, though, and Cadiz keeper Armando had to produce two fine saves to stop centre-back Sergio Ramos's dinked header and a powerful half-volley by Julio Baptista.
But they ran out of steam towards the end of the first half and after going close several times Cadiz seized the lead when Medina steered past Casillas at the second attempt after good work by fellow Uruguayan Fabian Estoyanoff on the right.
Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro reacted by sending on Italy striker Antonio Cassano for midfielder Thomas Gravesen but it was from two set pieces that the home side turned the game.
The first came from Roberto Carlos, the Cadiz wall splitting open allowing the fullback to fire a sizzling effort low into the corner after Beckham touched a free kick into his path.
The Brazilian returned the favour from another free kick four minutes later, slipping the ball to the England captain who curled a fine shot beyond Armando into the top corner.
Cadiz's hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Robinho scored with a dipping 25-metre lob seven minutes from time.
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