Madrid: Karim Benzema answered his critics by scoring the 61st-minute winner as Real Madrid beat Mallorca 1-0 on Sunday to stay within four points of Spanish league leader Barcelona.
The France striker gathered a pass in front of the area, shuffled to his left and beat goalkeeper Dudu Aouate with a low shot for his second league goal of the season.
The strike allowed Madrid to keep in close to Barcelona despite a laboured performance at Santiago Bernabeu stadium, with Cristiano Ronaldo below par and the ineffective Kaka being replaced by halftime.
Benzema has been a substitute in the past two games and endured a week in which both coach Jose Mourinho and Brazil playmaker Kaka criticised his failure to establish himself as the team's No. 1 striker with Gonzalo Higuain out injured.
"He's an introverted character but he's slowly opening up and he's got the support of every one in the changing room," Madrid captain Iker Casillas said of Benzema. "He's got so much talent; the problem is that so much has been expected of him from the start."
The Bernabeu had little to cheer in a listless first half, with the forward line of Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema lacking spark and Mallorca nearly scoring.
Emilio Nsue orchestrated the bulk of Mallorca's chances and was unlucky when his shot beat goalkeeper Casillas but came off the far post in the 13th.
Mallorca striker Pierre Webo headed weakly at Casillas in the 39th when the Cameroon international had time to collect the ball and try a shot.
Mourinho has said Madrid lacks firepower and that was apparent until Mesut Oezil replaced Kaka and Xabi Alonso came on in midfield for Fernando Gago to start the second half.
Mourinho said the Copa del Rey derby with Atletico Madrid had drained the team physically and emotionally coming into the match.
"I put some players on the bench because we have an important game in Seville knowing we can't make 11 changes and that with each one, the team is affected," the Portuguese coach said. "Kaka and Gago haven't found their rhythm."
Madrid director general Jorge Valdano said his club is working on signing extra firepower before the close of the January transfer window.
"The whole club is focused on this and we have this week to close a deal," Valdano told Canal Plus TV after the game.
Mallorca came close again in the 48th, Webo volleying on goal but a diving Casillas keeping the shot out.
Benzema responded to a tough few days with a masterful goal set up by Esteban Granero, who was replaced by Lassana Diarra in the 64th as Madrid looked to keep possession and protect its lead knowing it can't risk dropping any points in its chase of Barcelona.
Ronaldo curled a free kick just wide of far post in the 77th and had a header hit the bar in the 82nd — either side of missed chances by Benzema.
Nsue put Webo clear into the box in the third minute of injury time but Casillas made an excellent stop from a tight angle to preserve the victory.
Madrid improved to 16-0 at home in all competitions this season and now has 51 points. Barcelona beat Racing Santander 3-0 on Saturday for its 14th straight league win to improve to 55 points.
Also, Giuseppe Rossi scored twice as third-place Villarreal beat Real Sociedad 2-1 at El Madrigal stadium.
The Italy striker cancelled out Josebal Llorente's 30th-minute opener by firing Santi Cazorla's well-laid pass over keeper Claudio Bravo. He scored his 11th goal of the season in the 47th for the winner.
Villarreal stayed two points clear of fourth-place Valencia.
Earlier, Espanyol kept up its chase of Valencia and a Champions League place by rallying to beat Getafe 3-1.
Getafe led after 14 minutes through Venezuela striker Nicolas "Miku" Fedor but Espanyol went ahead after Luis Garcia, Jose Callejon and Sergio Garcia scored in an 11-minute span in the second half.
Espanyol moved seven points clear of sixth-place Atletico Madrid, which limped to a 1-0 defeat at Sporting Gijon.
Missing striker Sergio Aguero and playmaker Jose Antonio Reyes, Atletico couldn't string together much of an offence and a defensive mix-up between Luis Perea and Raul Garcia allowed David Barral to fire home the 51st-minute winner at El Molinon stadium.
Atletico slipped nine points back of Villarreal.
Sporting moved out of the drop zone places alongside Zaragoza, which secured a 1-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna with Sad Boutahar's 38th-minute free kick.
Sporting and Zaragoza's victories kept Almeria in the relegation places but the Andalucian club moved off the bottom of the table ahead of Malaga and Levante with a 3-1 win over Osasuna, which is just a point above Almeria.
It was Almeria's first league win of the season at its Juegos Mediterraneos stadium.
On Saturday, Malaga lost 4-3 at Valencia and Sevilla beat Levante 4-1.
Athletic Bilbao plays Hercules on Monday.
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