Kylian Mbappé scored twice, either side of goals from Álvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham, as Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Mbappé opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Carreras and Bellingham made it 3-0 by half-time, and although Sergio Camello pulled one back for Rayo early in the second half, Mbappé's stoppage-time finish, set up by substitute Arda Güler, completed the scoring and pulled Madrid level with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.
Beñat San José felt his side's second-half response, sparked by a debut for goalkeeper Emil Audero, deserved credit despite the eventual scoreline.
"We made the mistake of the penalty, then another one in playing out from the back. Madrid punishes you for that. With the ball we were good, we had good chances and Courtois made great saves, showing why he's the best goalkeeper in the world," San José said.
"I value the courage and the persistence of continuing to press forward. I'm proud of my players, even though the result ended up being very lopsided."
The Rayo Vallecano coach explained his decision to hand a debut to Audero in place of the club's usual goalkeeper.
"It's not permanent. We thought it was a good moment for Emil's debut. He did well, Madrid are lethal and it's very difficult to stop that type of goal," San José said, confirming forward Camello had been withdrawn as a precaution after complaining of discomfort.
José Mourinho was pleased to bounce back from the previous week's defeat by Real Betis, and praised the impact of substitute Güler.
"It was fundamental to win, above all after losing the last game in LaLiga," Mourinho said. "Arda is very good, he's got a lot of quality, he influences the team's play in a good way, and today he made a difference in terms of the stability of the game."
The Portuguese coach was less satisfied with his side's second-half display, admitting he had anticipated a drop-off after a demanding week.
"I'd define the match as one of 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, finished. I knew the team didn't have the physical and mental strength to play the second half the way it did," Mourinho said, pointing to Bellingham's tiring final 10 minutes as an illustration.
On Vinícius Júnior, who lost possession in the build-up to Camello's goal, Mourinho said the Brazilian's underlying form remained strong.
"Physically he's better than ever. He's a millimetre away from reaching his top speed. Mentally he's very strong, he knows Madrid better than anyone. The goals will come."