Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy netted first-half goals as Real clinched their seventh successive league win, keeping them at least seven points clear of second-placed Barcelona and now 13 points above Atletico, who started the weekend in third.

Real, who had not lost at the Vicente Calderon since 1999, could not have wished for a better start to the game as they took the lead inside the first minute through captain Raul.

Robinho pressured Atletico defender Pablo Ibanez into a mistake near the corner flag which allowed the Real winger to take possession in a dangerous area.

And the Brazilian ace did not waste the opportunity, skipping past Pablo before sliding a low cross into the near post which Raul guided across Atletico goalkeeper Christian Abbiati and into the far corner of the net.

That was Raul's 11th goal in his 23rd derby against Atletico, the club for which the Real skipper played as a youngster before moving across town.

Conceding such an early goal understandably knocked Atletico back, and the red-hot atmosphere that greeted the teams as they came out from the changing rooms was quickly reduced to a hushed silence.

It took Atletico until the 25th minute to finally create a chance of note, but it very nearly resulted in the equaliser as Diego Forlan saw his effort clawed out one-handed by Iker Casillas at his near post.

Thiago Motta came even closer for the hosts five minutes later as his thumping header from Simao Sabrosa's corner smashed against the woodwork.

Atletico were starting to get the upper hand towards the end of the first half and a deflected Antonio Lopez free-kick almost caught Casillas unawares but the Spain international somehow managed to tip the ball behind for a corner.

Casillas was beaten in the 42nd minute but the woodwork again came to Real's rescue as Sergio Aguero's curling shot from the edge of the box thumped against the crossbar.

Atletico were pushing hard for an equaliser before the interval, but they were hit with a devastating sucker-punch in the 43rd minute as Real netted a second totally against the run of play.

Wesley Sneijder's corner from the left found fellow Dutchman Van Nistelrooy at the far post and the prolific striker's left-footed volley was too good for Abbiati, who managed to get his hand to the shot but could not keep it out.

Van Nistelrooy's 12th league goal of the season proved to be a decisive one as Atletico found it impossible to bounce back.

The second half was a much more open affair than the first, but decent goalscoring opportunities were at a premium for both teams.

Sneijder had a couple of half-chances for Real, while at the other end Aguero curled a shot just wide with 10 minutes remaining which, if it had gone in, could have set up a frantic finale.

But it was to be Atletico's last decent effort of the derby, and Robinho almost added a third Real goal soon after only to be denied by the sprawling Abbiati.