Real Madrid were down to 10 men since the 19th minute but managed to edge past Real Murcia 1-0 and open a nine-point lead at the top. Dutch midfielder struck in the 59th minute to grab the full points of the game and move the Merengues closer to La Liga title. Bernd Schuster lived some tense moments as Miguel Torres was sent off after only 19 minutes for a harsh tackle on Dani Aquino. The hosts looked troubled but better than their struggling opponents who failed to benefit from their superiority in number. With six matches to go, Real Madrid have 69 points, 9 ahead of Barcelona and 10 ahead of third-placed Villarreal who will face Almeria later on today.