Zinedine Zidane cautioned that his Real Madrid side had "won nothing yet" after the 3-0 triumph at local rivals Atletico Madrid, though he also said there was "no debate" that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the Ballon d'Or after his hat trick.
Madrid went to the break deservedly ahead thanks to Ronaldo's deflected free kick, and even though Atletico rallied for a while, the Portuguese then killed the game with a penalty and close range finish to complete his treble.
Coupled with second-placed Barcelona's surprise 0-0 draw at home to Malaga earlier in the day, the result puts Madrid four points clear at the top of the table, and a full nine ahead of a slumping Atletico.
Asked at the postmatch news conference if his team were now in control of the title race, the Los Blancos coach replied with characteristic level-headedness that he was just now focusing on Tuesday's Champions League group game at Sporting Lisbon.
"I just stick with us playing a good game," Zidane said. "We have won nothing yet, and we know the difficulties we will have from here until the end. We are in a good moment, and we have a difficult game to focus on now in the Champions League. All the games are difficult to win, very difficult."
Zidane was also asked if this win, which stretches his team's unbeaten run in all competitions to 29 games, was the best of his almost 12 months in charge at Madrid.
"I don't know if it's the best, but we played an enormous game, from the start, against a tough rival," he said. "We began very well, strong. The first 45 mins were phenomenal.
"We had some difficulty at start of second half, that is normal, they needed to put some pressure on. But we kept going, working hard, lost very few balls, and we put in the required intensity against a tough opponent.
"I am very happy, this is not easy, the result might be a bit hard on [Atletico], but few teams will win here 3-0."
Ronaldo's latest treble strike appears to keep him on track for a fourth career Ballon d'Or award for 2016, although Zidane said there had never really been any doubt.
"I never had any doubts, and the three goals do not change this," he said. "He has shown his quality all the time, not just today, although it was 3-0 with his hat trick.
"For me there is no debate about who deserves the Ballon d'Or."
With Alvaro Morata injured and Karim Benzema less than fully fit, Ronaldo played most of the match at centre-forward, but Zidane suggested the positioning was not going to be permanent.
"There is nothing definite," he said. "Today we did it like this. [Ronaldo] was comfortable in this position. It was just for this game, we will see about others."
Besides Ronaldo's goals, the standout performance came from Isco, given a rare start in a playmaking No. 10 role, with Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez working hard on either wing.
Zidane said that his players working hard, and showing intensity, had been more important than the shape the team was set up in.
"Isco had a super game, like all the players tonight," he said. "In the first half Isco did not lose one ball, in this position which is his best position, behind Cristiano. We had balance in the team, we defended very well, all together.
"When you are intense and focus, with the quality we have, I am not worried even in a difficult ground like this. We put in Lucas and Gareth right and left, a more or less 4-4-2, but for me the system, three or four in centre... what is important is that each player gives everything."