Real went into the game in bad need of a win following an indifferent start to the La Liga season.
Zinedine Zidane told the press this week that he was not going to go crazy despite Real’s disappointing start to the new season but his side were given a warning sign after just four minutes as former Barca man Munir threatened to get in behind, only to be denied by the offside flag.
The forward was proving a nuisance early on and he forced a corner shortly after that forced Keylor Navas into action at his near post.
The good early work from the hosts was undone after just 10 minutes though as Real took the lead.
Nacho got to the byline down the left and pulled the ball back to Dani Ceballos. The midfielder broke a challenge before sweeping the ball past Pacheco and into the near corner.
Nacho was proving an effective outlet early on and but for a couple of inches, he would have won his side a penalty just minutes late after he was scythed down by Vigaray right on the edge of the box.
Cristiano Ronaldo took the free kick but it was blocked away to safety.
The game became somewhat fractured at this point as a series of fouls from both sides broke up the rhythm of the game and prevented either side from taking complete control.
Ronaldo surprised everyone after 23 minutes when he opted to cross from a well-placed free kick after 23 minutes but Sergio Ramos had strayed offside and his header was easily saved by Pacheco.
Lucas Vazquez flicked over after good play from Isco set Asensio away down the left, before Ronaldo did the same following a corner from the right just minutes later.
Nacho was in the thick of things once again on the half-hour mark as he saw a powerful header from a corner palmed over by Pacheco, before the stopper was once again called into action as Ceballos looked to double his tally for the day from just outside the box.
The hosts hadn’t really threatened for some time at this point but they equalised against the run of play after 40 minutes.
A nice move saw Burgui play in Munir down the right and the former Barca man’s cross was perfect for Manu Garcia to power a header past Navas and into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The lead was short-lived though as Pacheco fumbled a cross from the right, allowing Ceballos to double his tally as he latched onto the loose ball on the edge of the Alaves box to give Real the lead once again and bring the first half to a breathless end.
Alaves made a change at half-time as they looked to find a way back into the game but they could have gone further behind immediately after the restart after Ronaldo saw an effort from the edge of the box clip the post after a fine Real counter.
Alaves still looked capable of getting something from the game at this point, with Varane having to be alert to prevent Burgui from playing in Munir.
Isco should have put the game to bed after Varane played him in with a fine ball over the top but he fluffed his lines when one-on-one and fired straight at Pacheco.
Ronaldo then hit the post again as he cut in from the right and took aim before Sergio Ramos saw a header from an Asensio corner disallowed for a foul by Varane.
The hosts should have gone down to 10 men after 65 minutes when Lucas Vazquez was elbowed in the face by Manu but the Alaves skipper got away with the offence.
Alaves were inches away from levelling soon after as substitute Alfonso Pedraza’s effort from the edge of the box deflected off Casemiro and onto the bar.
Sergio Ramos did his best jigsaw impression just minutes later as he fell to pieces in the box.
Pacheco spilled a routine cross from the right but the defender could only blaze over with the goal gaping.
Pedraza almost made Ramos pay when he fired against the post when put through one-on-one with Navas, but that was the end of the hosts' threat though as they visibly tired late on.
Ronaldo and Vazquez tested Pacheco with strikes from range as the game moved into the final stages whilst Isco could have had a penalty when he was brought down as he looked to tap in Vazquez's low cross from the left.
Real ran out 2-1 winners in the end, though Zinedine Zidane will no doubt be concerned by the lack of threat posed by his attacking players in front of goal.