MADRID - Real Madrid powered on at the top of the Primera Liga table on Sunday with a hugely entertaining home win over Real Mallorca.
Real forwards Robinho (2), Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy netted for the reigning Spanish champions - who beat Mallorca 3-1 on the final day of last season here to win the title - while the visitors replied through a Fernando Varela brace and Dani Guiza.
It was an action-packed start to the match with three goals scored in the opening 20 minutes, plus a Mallorca shot that hit the crossbar and one decent chance for either side as well.
Mallorca's Guillermo Pereyra and Real captain Raul both threatened early on before the home side took the lead in the 11th minute with a brilliantly-worked goal.
Fernando Gago sprayed a 40-yard pass out wide to Robinho, who cut inside two defenders before back-heeling the ball to fellow Brazilian Marcelo, who was steaming into the box on the overlap.
Marcelo dinked a cross back in towards the penalty area which Robinho latched onto before directing a header into the corner of the net.
Marcelo undid that good work 60 seconds later though as his mistake allowed Mallorca to grab an instant equaliser.
The young Brazilian made a mess of cutting out Ariel Ibagaza's through-ball and Varela, who had got in behind the full-back, picked up possession before cutting across Iker Casillas and slotting home left-footed.
The Bernabeu crowd did not have to wait long for another goal though, with Real re-taking the lead in the 16th minute.
Robinho was again the goalscorer as he took advantage of a couple of favourable deflections to slot the ball into the bottom corner, leaving the Mallorca defenders vainly appealing for offside.
A frantic opening quarter of the game almost produced a fourth goal in the 19th minute when some more poor Real defending allowed Nunes to get on the end of Ibagaza's corner from the right.
But the unmarked Mallorca centre-back was unable to capitalise as his volley from six yards out crashed against the crossbar before flying over.
Mallorca were giving as good as they got, and it was no more than they deserved when Varela spectacularly got the Balearic Island side back on level terms in the 36th minute.
He turned his marker 35 yards out, took a few paces forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net.
The goals continued to flow in the second half as well, with both teams scoring in rapid succession around the hour-mark.
Mallorca were the first to net when Guiza - who played under Real coach Bernd Schuster at Getafe last season - took advantage of a poor touch from Mahamadou Diarra before slotting home from just inside the area.
That was Guiza's seventh league goal of the season and was a fine way to celebrate his maiden call-up to the Spain squad on Friday.
Mallorca's joy was short-lived though, as Real hit back just four minutes later to make it 3-3.
Robinho turned goal provider this time as he raced into the box before sliding a ball across for Raul to tap home from close range.
Robinho almost grabbed his hat-trick soon after that but, following a clever piece of skill, he sent a rising shot inches over. More goals seemed inevitable though, and the seventh of the match arrived with 17 minutes remaining thanks to the clinical boot of Van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman had barely had a sniff of goal in the opening 73 minutes but he made no mistake when Raul put him through, with last season's top scorer firing in a low shot that Mallorca goalkeeper German Lux got a hand to, but could not keep out.
Real had chances to increase their lead in the closing stages through Robinho and Van Nistelrooy, but they had done enough to claim their ninth win in 12 games.
