Even with numerous injures, Athletic Club put up a fight, their high press making matters uncomfortable for Real Madrid in possession and had Inaki Williams been a bit sharper in front of goal, Los Blancos might not sit atop the LaLiga table.
Off to an excellent start, with Karim Benzema firing home early, Los Leones fought back, and after earning an equaliser, dominated certain spells of the match.
Once again, Real Madrid's individual quality of its attacking players, and impressive appearances off the bench, bailed out Zinedine Zidane and a side that lacked intensity without the ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo moved inwards, leaving most of the left wing for Marcelo, whose man of the match performance provided the consistency the rest of the team needs.
The French boss tried a 4-4-2 during the second half with Ronaldo as the other striker, though it was Alvaro Morata's substitution that ultimately proved decisive in the end, which forced Gareth Bale to the left and saw an overall improvement in play.
Whether it is the off-ball intensity or the general play in possession, Zidane has a lot of work to do to make sure the squad improves as a unit as the season progresses.A Karim Benzema strike gave Real Madrid an early lead, but some sloppy defending allowed Sabin Merino to equalize for the Basque side 20 minutes later.
Substitute and birthday boy Alvaro Morata's late goal secured the victory and top spot in LaLiga, as well as more questions about whether the Spaniard deserves more playing time.
"There are no easy games in the league so we have to know how to suffer until the end," Zidane told reporters after the match. "It will be like this all season long.
"We're happy to win and to become league leaders," he continued. "It was a difficult game and my players gave everything they had."
The French coach also addressed his team's inability to keep a clean sheet.
"Conceding goals is also a part of football," he said. "Our rival made things difficult for us and this is something we'll try to improve on, but we're not overly concerned."
Zidane was also unsurprisingly asked about whether Morata and Lucas Vazquez deserve to start more often.
"[Alvaro] Morata and Lucas [Vazquez] are very good, and they play well whenever they come in," he said. "They will get to start games too but it's difficult."
Also on the agenda was the controversial substitution of Isco, a move that provoked boos from many at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
"The substitution was tactical, and not a reflection on Isco's performance," Zidane confirmed. "We wanted to play with four in midfield and two upfront, and we also wanted some stability in the middle of the pitch."
With top spot in LaLiga now secured, Zidane issued a rallying cry to his troops to keep up the momentum.
"I need everyone to push together because the season is very long," he said.
The Frenchman will now turn his attention towards Real Madrid's midweek trip to Cultural Deportivo Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.
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