Gonzalo Higuain and Rafael van der Vaart also netted for Real, with the game at Santiago Bernabeu decided by Numancia left back Domingo Cisma's own-goal.

Juan Carlos Moreno scored twice and Jose Javier Barkero had Numancia's other goal as the promoted team came close to emulating its victory over Barcelona in its opening game.

Real has three points, three behind Espanyol, the only team to have made a perfect start to the season.

"It was to be expected. These games after international weeks are always the hardest," Real manager Bernd Schuster said.

"When we were 4-2 up we didn't manage the game very well. We deserved to win by more but eased off too much in the second half."

Espanyol won 1-0 at Recreativo Huelva after striker Luis Garcia scored in the 84th minute with an angled shot from just inside the area which culminated a sweeping, passing move.

In Sunday's late game, Almeria drew 2-2 with Valencia, leaving the two sides with four points, level with Sevilla, Getafe and Villarreal

Pablo Piatti gave Almeria a 20th-minute lead when he pounced after goalkeeper Renan Brito had spilled Julio Alvarez's shot.

Valencia leveled through Alexis Ruano in the 35th, only for Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo to score with a looping header five minutes later.

Spain striker David Villa fired the visitors' equalizer from Joaquin Sanchez's pass in the 69th.

The result marked a satisfactory return to Juegos Mediterraneos stadium for Valencia coach Unai Emery, who led Almeria to promotion two seasons ago and to eighth place last season.

In Sunday's other league games, it was: Villarreal 1, Deportivo La Coruna 0 Getafe 0, Real Betis 0 Malaga 0, Athletic Bilbao 0 and Mallorca 1, Osasuna 1.

Midfielder Moreno began the goal rush in Madrid, when he ran in unmarked to send a downward header past goalkeeper Iker Casillas in the seventh minute.

Guti, captain for the day as Raul Gonzalez was left on the bench to save him for tomorrow's Champions League game with BATE Borisov, scored in the 19th minute with a sweeping shot which took a wicked deflection off defender Boris Gonzalez.

Numancia, which fielded a full team of Spaniards, restored its lead in spectacular fashion three minutes later when Barquero fired a swerving long-range shot into the top corner.

Real leveled again in the 26th when Higuain took advantage of Van Nistelrooy's through pass to shoot home off the post.

Van der Vaart, making his league debut for Madrid following his offseason move from Hamburg, gave the home team the lead for the first time in the 34th with a powerful angled drive from just inside the area.

Cisma inadvertently headed Madrid's fourth goal six minutes later after Real defender Pepe had back-headed Guti's corner into his path.

Moreno reduced Real's two-goal cushion in the 57th with a fierce free kick that Casillas got a hand to but couldn't stop.

Numancia piled forward in the final stages, with Real surviving a series of close shaves to hang on to a hard-earned victory.