Gonzalo Higuain's early goal earned stuttering champions Real Madrid a morale-boosting victory tonight against 10-man Valencia.
Madrid had lost four of their previous five league matches and slumped 12 points adrift of leaders Barcelona in the process, but Higuain's fine left-footed strike brought some early Christmas cheer to the Bernabeu.
Juande Ramos' side also hit the woodwork twice but second-placed Valencia can consider themselves unfortunate not to have earned a draw after more than matching Madrid up until the point Carlos Marchena was sent off midway through the second half.
The first period was a mixed bag, with Madrid starting off superbly and taking a deserved lead through Higuain but then allowing Valencia to get back into the game.
Madrid were handed the perfect start when ever-improving Higuain scored after just three minutes.
Arjen Robben did brilliantly to slalom his way past two defenders before pulling the ball back to Higuain, who sliced a rising left-footed shot past Renan Brito and into the far top corner for his 11th league goal of the season.
That should have been the foundation of a comfortable half for Madrid, and it would have been with some better finishing and a bit more luck.
Robben was denied by a good save from Renan in the 11th minute and four minutes later Rafael van der Vaart struck the inside of the post with a curling effort following good work by Higuain.
Van der Vaart then brought another save out of Renan from a free-kick, before Robben missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 31st minute.
The Dutchman had a great chance to shoot with his right foot, but instead choose to cut back inside two defenders on his favoured left, and that allowed Renan to come out and save.
Robben really should have scored that and he was almost made to pay as Valencia went agonisingly close three times in the next four minutes as the balance of power shifted to the visitors.
Former Madrid youngster Juan Mata skimmed the post with a free-kick that Iker Casillas had already given up hope of saving, then David Villa twice brought fine stops out of his Spain team-mate.
Villa, who has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu, was proving a major thorn in the home team's side and he tested Casillas again just before the break after getting in behind the Madrid defence.
Valencia continued where they left in the second half and Manuel Fernandes should have done better from the edge of the box before Casillas did well to keep out another Villa shot.
Casillas then produced what could be one of the saves of the season to somehow tip Ruben Baraja's close-range header onto the post when a goal looked a certainty.
Valencia were rampant at that stage but Madrid weathered the storm and created two great chances in rapid succession.
Guti wasted the first after being put clean through before Higuain rattled the crossbar after chesting down Guti's corner.
Madrid continued to create openings, although it was not a second goal that gave them total control of the game, but the 66th minute dismissal of Marchena.
The big centre-back was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Robben on the edge of the area, and with him seemed to go Valencia's hopes of getting back level as Madrid bossed the remainder of the game aside from a few late scares.
The champions were unable to add to their tally, but they had the opportunities and Higuain alone might well have been celebrating a hat-trick.
Guti also blazed a late chance over, but it did not matter as Madrid had already done enough to take the points.
