Madrid had not won at the Riazor since the 1991-92 season and had been defeated in their last six visits to Depor, but that miserable record was put to bed in style with a 3-1 win..

Esteban Granero headed Madrid in front early on and Karim Benzema doubled the lead just before the break following an audacious back-heel from Guti.

Depor pulled a goal back in the 87th minute through Riki's penalty, but Madrid restored their two-goal advantage in injury time when Benzema fired home his second of the match.

The victory means Madrid stay five points behind champions Barca, who beat Sporting Gijon earlier in the evening.

Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini named an attacking side, although he was limited in his options with seven senior players absent, including centre-backs Pepe and Ezequiel Garay, and defensive midfielders Lassana Diarra, Fernando Gago and Mahamadou Diarra.

The Spanish giants were also without their two top scorers, with Gonzalo Higuain (11 goals) injured and Cristiano Ronaldo (nine) suspended, and had four players promoted from the club's reserve side on the bench.

However, none of that seemed to concern the capital club as they produced a superb first-half performance.

Xabi Alonso and Benzema had both tested Depor goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia before Granero put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute.

He nodded home at the far post after Alvaro Arbeloa's headed cross into the danger area had flicked off the head of Depor defender Alberto Lopo and fallen perfectly for the former Getafe man.

Captain Raul, starting his first league match in over three months, then had two great chances in quick succession to double Madrid's lead.

The first, in the 18th minute, saw him fail to get a decent connection on Benzema's low cross, and then two minutes later he was denied by a remarkable one-handed save from Aranzubia after firing in a close-range volley.

Fifth-placed Depor, who were also missing a host of players through injury, finally started to put Madrid under pressure towards the end of the first half, but the visitors responded to that by scoring a superb second.

A rapid breakaway resulted in Kaka putting Guti through on the edge of the box.

However, instead of pulling the trigger as Aranzubia advanced to meet him, Guti astonishingly opted to back-heel the ball into the path of Benzema behind him, and the Frenchman gleefully slotted home his sixth goal of the season into an empty net.

That was the perfect end to an impressive opening period for Madrid, and they continued where they left off in the second half with Kaka twice going close in the opening 10 minutes.

Depor briefly worried Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas when Juan Rodriguez saw his 35-yard thunderbolt fly just over, but that was a rare scare for the away side.

However, just as Madrid looked set to keep their 12th clean sheet in 20 matches this season, Depor pulled a goal back from the penalty spot.

Substitute Riki went tumbling over Sergio Ramos' foot in the area and the former Madrid youngster stepped up to score the resulting penalty, despite Casillas getting his hand to the shot.

That goal could have set up a nervy final few minutes for Madrid, but the Whites were not to be denied a long-awaited Riazor victory and Benzema sealed the win when he fired a low shot past Aranzubia following Arbeloa's cut-back from the goalline.