Real's derby win demoralising for rivals says Casillas

Leaders Real Madrid's 2-0 derby victory away to Atletico Madrid will have a demoralising effect on those who had been hoping they might drop points, goalkeeper Iker Casillas has said.

"It isn't a definitive blow but I imagine that this will hurt those that are chasing us," Real's man-of-the-moment was quoted as saying in sports daily AS on Monday.

First-half goals from Raul, inside the first minute, and Ruud van Nistelrooy on Sunday maintained Real's seven-point cushion over Barcelona at the top of the Primera Liga standings and crossed off another tricky away fixture from their calendar.

Bernd Schuster's side have now won in the stadiums of all three of their nearest challengers: Barcelona, Villarreal and Atletico.

Spain goalkeeper Casillas's athletic first-half display, aided by the woodwork on two occasions, also extended his run of clean sheets to six.

"If I am honest, I would like someone to score against me. I am fed up with this talk of being unbeatable. It's not me who has gone six matches without conceding a goal, it is the whole team," Casillas added.

Schuster was one of the first to admit the victory "wasn't spectacular", but the ruthless efficiency with which they punished their rivals' errors and then closed down a game once again prompted a couple of newspapers to describe Real as "a machine to win."

Atletico fans will have to wait another year before seeing whether their team can shake off the mesmerising hold their neighbours seem to hold over them. Atletico have not beaten Real since 1999.

"We collaborated in their two goals, it wasn't bad luck. We need to make better decisions. We chose badly and our rivals made the most of it," said Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.

"We are annoyed but the second half of the season has just started. We are fourth, still in the King's Cup and the UEFA Cup."

Atletico's credentials as potential title challengers were severely dented though. They are now 13 points short of Real and have lost to all three sides above them, and Espanyol in fifth