After a relatively subdued start, Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the hosts, turning in Dani Carvajal’s cross to give Los Blancos the lead.
Taking a 1-0 lead into the break, Madrid thought they had their second 10 minutes into the second stanza, yet star man Cristiano Ronaldo was caught offside after bulging the back of the net.
Alaves only trailed by a single goal with five minutes to go, yet Isco’s fine effort followed by Nacho’s late header secured maximum points for Zinedine Zidane and his men.
Later in the evening, Barcelona secured a resounding 4-1 win over 10-man Granada, Luis Suarez, Paco Alcacer, Ivan Fakitic and Neymar spreading out the scoring between them.
The win leaves the Catalans just two points behind Madrid, who have played a game less.
