Goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo were enough to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo.
The forward pair scored in either half to give Los Blancos the three points, but they were the only bright points in an otherwise disapponting performance.
As Jose Mourinho's side started the match with six recognised midfielders, it was perhaps no surprise that the home team began the game with the majority of possession.
The central triumvirate of Luca Modric, Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil were causing problems, but it was Higuain who eventually opened the scoring after 11 minutes.
A half-cross, half-shot from the Argentine on the left-hand side, went straight over Sergio, and dipped into the far-hand corner.
Sergio Ramos and Ronaldo perhaps should have done better midway through the half, but both of their close-range efforts went wide.
Paco Herrera's men slowly started to get back into the game, but they failed to convert time on the ball into clear-cut chances, as Os Celestes went in at the break a goal down.
The arrival of Angel Di Maria at the interval gave Los Blancos more width on the left wing, but the hosts’ slow tempo wasn't creating any guilt-edged chances.
It wasn't until the hour-mark that the Santiago Bernabeu side could have doubled their lead. A cross from the former Benfica man on the left, found Ronaldo, but his header from eight yards went just wide of the post.
The defending champions were really struggling to find any sort of rhythm in their play, but they eventually did score another on 68 minutes. A rash challenge from Gustavo Cabral on Ozil resulted in a penalty, and Ronaldo stepped up to fire it into the bottom left-hand corner.
Park Chu-Young had a close-range header saved by Iker Casillas in the dying moments, but Madrid stayed firm and held out for a 2-0 win.
Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo
Scorers: Higuain 11 (RM), Ronaldo pen 68 (RM)
Real Madrid: Casillas; Essien, Pepe, Ramos, Varane; Xabi Alonso, Modric; Ozil (Callejon 73), Kaka (Di Maria 45), Ronaldo; Higuain (Benzema 85)
Celta Vigo: Sergio; Hugo Mallo, Cabral, Tunez, Roberto Lago; Oubina, Alex Lopez, Bustos (Bermejo 52); Augusto (De Lucas 78), Iago Aspas (Park Chu-Young 58), Krohn-Dehli
