However, Mourinho was less impressed by the officiating, complaining his side are not being treated in the same way as others after seeing Xabi Alonso and Marcelo pick up bookings that will rule them out of next week's potentially tricky match with Sevilla.

Madrid kept the pressure up on leaders Barcelona with a 3-1 victory at bottom club Zaragoza with Mesut Ozil, Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria netting before the home side netted a consolation strike through Gabi's penalty.

It was an impressive all-round performance by Madrid, who have now won three successive matches in the Primera Division and Champions League since their 5-0 mauling at Barcelona, but for Mourinho it was Diarra's display that caught the eye.

Diarra has had to wait for playing time this season with Alonso and Sami Khedira being Mourinho's preferred midfield pairing, but with the latter out injured, the France international took his chance to impress.

"Lass was the man of the match. He was incredible in every aspect," said Mourinho, who also paid tribute to Ronaldo and criticised some of the treatment the world's most expensive player receives from opposing fans.

Mourinho said of his fellow Portuguese, who took his tally to 17 in La Liga this season with a stunning 25-yard free-kick on the stroke of half-time: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenal player and it's difficult to understand what happens to him.

"To treat a phenomenon like him so badly leads me to think they are not protecting the championship. He belongs to La Liga and to Spanish fans, who can watch him on television or in the stands.

"I don't even protect him by giving him a break, he always plays every minute. He puts on a show everywhere and is not protected by the stadiums, fans, opponents or referees. Even so, today he scored one of his best goals, another one for his collection."

Mourinho was not pleased either by some of the refereeing decisions he feels have been going against him and his side.

"I'm not upset with the protest by Marcelo (booked for dissent). There are players who can protest and others who can't. There are coaches who can leave the technical area and others who can't, there are coaches who can simulate aggressions and others who can't..," Mourinho, who has served two separate touchline bans recently for different offences, was quoted as saying by AS after tonight's match.

"I'm bothered that there is one rule for Mourinho and another for the rest. And it's the same with the players.

"It's very easy to hand out yellow cards to Real Madrid players and more difficult to hand them out to others in the same circumstances. This is football and now we need to respond (against Sevilla)."

Considering Mourinho was already without Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Ramos, Kaka, Khedira, Fernando Gago, Sergio Canales and Jerzy Dudek through injury for tonight's match, the added loss of Marcelo and Alonso could test the strength of the Madrid squad in the clash with Sevilla at the Bernabeu.

Looking ahead to that match, Mourinho added: "We have several injured players and these two are now suspended. Khedira will return. This is something normal to deal with at the end of the year.

"People might think that we could drop points due to having so many players out, but we'll see. We'll put 11 players on the pitch and they'll have the support of the fans. We want to go into the Christmas holidays with a win.

"We must go into the two games we have left (Madrid also play Levante in the Copa del Rey) with all the strength that we have. We also hope that Kaka will return from January."