Liga Wrap: Sociedad Stay Top, Valencia Edge Past Espanyol

Real Sociedad stayed three points clear at the top of La Liga after a Nihat strike handed them a 1-0 win at Villarreal.

Valencia had to wait until the 74th minute before a Fabio Aurelio goal saw off Espanyol.

Barcelona needed a late Fernando Navarro header to save them a point at Racing Santander. Francisco Guerrero had given the home side an early lead.

Celta Vigo looked to have secured the points at Athletic Bilbao thanks to Edu, but goals in the final ten minutes from Joseba Etxebarria and Ismael Urzaiz turned the match on it's head and saw the Basques walk off with all three points.

Betis got back on track when they thrashed Malaga 3-0 at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera. Arzu put them ahead in the 49th minute and a Fernando double (the second a penalty) completed the win.

Elsewhere, Recreativo grabbed their first win of the season as they beat Osasuna thanks to a late Cubillo penalty, while Alaves saw off Sevilla 1-0. Ruben got the goal.