Primera Liga reports

Reports of Primera Liga matches played on Sunday:

CELTA VIGO 2 REAL SOCIEDAD 5

Real Sociedad claimed a fourth straight league win to revive their hopes of making Europe next season and leave their fellow Champions League challengers Celta looking at a fight to avoid the drop.

Gustavo Lopez gave Celta the lead after just 57 seconds but Xabi Alonso picked out Darko Kovacevic for an equaliser and Celta striker Savo Milosevic turned a low cross into his own net to send Sociedad into the lead before half-time.

A Peter Luccin penalty levelled the scores just after the break but Alonso made it 3-2 on the hour and, six minutes later, the game swung Sociedad's way definitively with the sending-off of Eduardo Berizzo. Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci took advantage to wrap up the scoring with two goals in two minutes.

ESPANYOL 1 REAL BETIS 2

Espanyol sank further into relegation trouble, despite a strong second-half comeback that almost brought them a point.

Betis took the lead after just nine minutes with a terrific left-foot strike from defender Mingo and Fernando made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Alfonso had been brought down.

Espanyol pulled one back with a Raul Tamudo penalty after 62 minutes but their hopes of a draw were hit when French defender Gregory Vignal, on loan from Liverpool, was sent off for a foul on Fernando Varela.

MALAGA 2 VALLADOLID 3

Two great goals from Oscar helped Valladolid to victory in a breathless game. Salva Ballesta toe-poked in a long through ball to put Malaga ahead after 24 minutes but Oscar turned the game round with two strikes on the volley.

Julio Cesar made it 3-1 to Valladolid from a free kick after 78 minutes and, even though Salva struck again to pull a goal back almost immediately, that proved enough to give Valladolid the points.

RACING SANTANDER 3 MURCIA 2

Murcia fought hard in their first game under replacement coach John Toshack but were denied a point when Javi Guerrero completed a hat-trick deep in injury time.

Guerrero turned in from close range for his first after 33 minutes, with Juan Eduardo Esnaider finishing off a sweeping move to equalise 10 minutes later.

Murcia fell behind again when Guerrero chipped the keeper for his second on 73 minutes but showed great heart to snatch another equaliser through David Karanka in the 91st minute.

Even that was not enough to give them a draw, though, as Guerrero popped up two minutes later to convert a pass from Jonathan.

REAL ZARAGOZA 1 REAL MALLORCA 3

Andrija Delibasic scored a goal on his debut to lead Mallorca to victory.

Delibasic, signed from Partizan Belgrade this week, headed in from a corner for Mallorca's first after 42 minutes and set up Arnold Bruggink for the second a couple of minutes later.

Leonardo Ponzio pulled one back with a deflected strike on 67 minutes but Nene settled matters for Mallorca late on.

SEVILLA 0 BARCELONA 1

Barcelona stayed in touch with the battle for European places, and eased the pressure on coach Frank Rijkaard with this much needed win.

Barca got the only goal after 32 minutes when Luis Garcia crossed from deep on the right for Patrick Kluivert to flick a header over the keeper.

Sevilla created countless chances in the second half, even after the sending-off of Lluis Marti for a second booking six minutes from time.

Barca keeper Victor Valdes forced a shot on to the post with a minute to go and Giovanni van Bronckhorst cleared off the line with virtually the last kick of the game to safeguard the points.

VALENCIA 0 OSASUNA 1

Valencia, beaten 3-0 by Real Madrid in the Cup in midweek, conceded the league leadership to their rivals from the capital with this substandard performance.

Valencia centre-back Mauricio Pellegrino gifted Osasuna their goal, diverting an aimless cross past his keeper Santiago Canizares at the end of the first half.

The home side created several good chances early in the second half but their form soon dipped again and the game finished on an ugly note when Italian defender Amedeo Carboni was sent off for stamping on Osasuna's Pablo Garcia.

Playing later on Sunday (kickoff times GMT): Athletic Bilbao v Deportivo Coruna (2000).

Played Saturday:

ALBACETE 1 ATLETICO MADRID 1

Atletico edged ahead in the race for fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying slot with this draw.

Nano put Atletico ahead after 31 minutes with a deflected free kick but Matias Lequi turned a low cross into his own net for the Albacete equaliser on the hour.

REAL MADRID 2 VILLARREAL 1

Santiago Solari and Ronaldo got the goals as Real moved back to the top of the table with their best league display of 2004.

Solari opened the scoring on 14 minutes with a low shot that Villarreal keeper Pepe Reina should have kept out and Ronaldo smashed the ball into the roof of the net after halftime for the second.

Real looked in control but had to endure a nervous finale after Sergio Ballesteros headed in a corner four minutes from time. Ballesteros went down in the box in the second minute of injury time but the referee waved away claims for a penalty.