But Barcelona - who face their arch-rivals in their Champions League semi-final, first leg on Tuesday - saw their chances of securing a berth in next season's competition receive a severe dent as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo.

Real now lead the table on 65 points, two ahead of Valencia and four ahead of Deportivo Coruna, who play each other at the Mestalla on Sunday.

Celta are level on points with Barcelona, but leapfrog them into fourth place thanks to their superior head-to-head record against the Catalans.

Barca's disappointment was compounded by the fact that both Rivaldo and Carles Puyol picked up injuries that could threaten to put them out of Tuesday's semi-final against Real.

Lowly Tenerife, who have never won a league match at the Bernabeu, began positively enough but began to relinquish the initiative to the reigning champions as the opening half wore on.

Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo were given free rein on either wing and the Brazilian defender made the most of his freedom to unleash a vicious in-swinger on 12 minutes, but keeper Sergio Aragoneses somehow managed to punch the ball over the bar.

Tenerife's resistance did not last long, though, as four minutes later the pair combined to help Real into the lead.

Figo appeared to dive after a tricky run took him to the edge of the area and Carlos then drilled a powerful free-kick through the ragged Tenerife wall inside the right-hand post.

With the match seemingly under control, Real began to relax and Tenerife came back into the match thanks to a brilliantly-taken goal by Javi Venta on 39 minutes.

The defender nipped in behind the Real defence to latch on to Bichi Fuertes' clever overhead pass from the halfway line and then chipped the stranded Cesar.

But Real were sparked into an immediate reply and, three minutes later, Figo headed past Aragoneses after Raul had dinked in a neat cross from the edge of the area.

The story repeated itself in the second half when Real, no doubt with an eye on Tuesday's duel against Barca, settled on their lead once more and Tenerife responded by taking the initiative.

Substitute Jordi Ocana twice had a chance to equalise. Cesar reacted sharply to save his first strike, but the midfielder rushed his shot when he dispossessed the Real keeper after he tried dribbling out of the area a few minutes later.

The succession of Tenerife attacks raised Real from their slumber once more and Guti hit home on the turn after Roberto Carlos cut back a pass to his unmarked team mate from the by-line on 76 minutes.

Tenerife's hopes of a comeback were extinguished completely eight minutes from time after Fuertes was sent off for an apparent insult to the referee and Real made the most of their numerical advantage to hit their fourth.