Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho savoured a "golden" victory at Real Sociedad after a game he admitted his side were fortunate to win.
Madrid won the match at the Anoeta stadium 2-1 to provisionally take over top spot in La Liga with seven points from a possible nine at the start of the campaign.
It was far from easy for the big-spending Spanish giants, though, and needed a massively deflected Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick 16 minutes from time to decide the game after Sociedad striker Raul Tamudo had earlier cancelled out Angel Di Maria's fine opener for the visitors.
Mourinho was full of praise for promoted Sociedad after the game, saying: "In the first half La Real [Sociedad] deserved to win and in the second Madrid were better. For me, the fairest thing would have been a draw.
"They were alive right until the end, they are a team with good character and with a stadium that helps them a lot.
"I said that it was going to be the most difficult game that we had played yet and the game proved me right. La Real are a very difficult opponent and my players have had character and have known how to react and battle and we've picked up three golden points.
"We'll see if many teams leave here with three points this season. La Real, for what they have done, a point would've been a fair reward for them."
Mourinho was less impressed by the fixture scheduling which sees his side play three games in under a week. The capital club met Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, played Sociedad last night and meet Espanyol on Tuesday night.
"Why wasn't the Hercules-Valencia match played today? Valencia played [in the Champions League] on Tuesday. Why do we have to? I hope that whilst respecting the decision of the television stations there is a little more protection for the spectacle of football and things are more even in the future.
"We have to play again on Tuesday against Espanyol and it will be difficult. I don't understand this situation: Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday...
"It seems that life is easier for some and more difficult for others."
Mourinho also spoke to the media at Vitoria airport as Madrid returned from the game in San Sebastian to clarify comments he reportedly made to Portuguese television regarding the Portugal national team job.
The Portuguese Football Federation are keen for Mourinho to temporarily take charge for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Denmark on October 8 and Iceland four days later while they seek a full-time successor to Carlos Queiroz.
Mourinho was quizzed about that following the Sociedad match but the former Inter Milan coach later insisted his comments were misunderstood, saying: "I didn't say that I don't understand why they [Madrid) aren't allowing me to go to Portugal.
"The Portuguese journalist told me there had been no meeting between Real Madrid and Portugal, and I said that I didn't understand why there hadn't been a meeting.
"Then [Madrid general director Jorge] Valdano told me that Portugal have not asked for any meeting and what I meant was that if the Portuguese Federation are in Madrid, I don't understand why they haven't asked for this.
"I'm honest and I admit that I'm sad not to be able to coach Portugal, but at the same time I don't have the right to ask anything of Madrid. It's a difficult situation," Mourinho added in Marca.
