Spanish first division reports
Reports of Spanish first division soccer matches played on Sunday:
Reports of Spanish first division soccer matches played on Sunday:
ALAVES 0 CELTA VIGO 0
A point was enough to take Celta back into the fourth and final Champions League qualification place. The visitors started brightly but the game soon settled into a defensive pattern.
Alaves stay deep in trouble after missing out on victory in their first match under Txutxi Aranguren, who replaced Jose Manuel Esnal last week.
BARCELONA 3 RAYO VALLECANO 0
Barcelona kept their European hopes alive as three excellent second-half goals rescued an otherwise mediocre performance against the division's bottom club.
Luis Enrique gave the Catalans the lead after 68 minutes, finishing off a one-two with Patrick Kluivert with a stunning volley into the bottom right-hand corner.
Kluivert set up Marc Overmars for the second and Javier Saviola made it 3-0 in the second minute of injury time as he received the ball just inside the Rayo half, raced forward and tucked in his shot.
DEPORTIVO CORUNA 5 RECREATIVO HUELVA 0
Roy Makaay fired in a hat-trick to take Depor to within a point of leaders Real Madrid.
Recreativo were the better side early on but two goals in two minutes from Juan Carlos Valeron and Victor midway through the first half changed the game.
Makaay grabbed his first on 31 minutes from the penalty spot and swept in on the volley for his second five minutes later. The Dutch striker completed his hat-trick just before the hour mark with a powerful run and shot.
OSASUNA 1 ATHLETIC BILBAO 5
Bilbao joined the race for a UEFA Cup place next season with a commanding victory.
Aitor Ocio set the visitors on their way with a 30-metre drive after 15 minutes and Santi Ezquerro made it 2-0 just past the half-hour by converting a cross from Joseba Arriaga.
Francisco Yeste made it 3-0 shortly before half-time and just after the break any lingering hopes of an Osasuna comeback were dashed as John Aloisi was sent off.
Arriaga added the fourth on 65 minutes, Gerardo Rivero scored a consolation for Osasuna four minutes later, and Aitor Karanka rounded off the scoring for Bilbao with 14 minutes to go.
RACING SANTANDER 2 VALENCIA 1
Racing continued their climb away from the relegation zone, and knocked Valencia out of the Champions League slots, with the win.
Rudolfo Bodipo headed down a long ball forward and slipped a shot past Santiago Canizares for the opening goal in the 11th minute.
Valencia equalised within a minute, Francisco Rufete turning in from close range after John Carew's shot was saved, but Bodipo added a second after 25 minutes to restore his side's lead.
REAL BETIS 1 ESPANYOL 1
Espanyol extended their unbeaten league run to nine games, and moved four points clear of the relegation places, with a gritty draw.
Betis took the lead 10 minutes before half-time when Fernando turned in a Joaquin cross at the far post.
Espanyol looked in danger of being overrun in the second half but Cyrille Domoraud earned them a point as he controlled a header down from Antonio Soldevilla and bundled the ball in.
VALLADOLID 3 ATLETICO MADRID 1
Atletico Madrid slipped further away from a place in Europe with another shoddy away display.
Jose Maria Movilla should have put the visitors ahead early on but unmarked and no more than 10 metres out he side-footed wide.
Valladolid responded by taking the lead through Fernando Sales on 32 minutes and David Aganzo made it 2-0 shortly after the break.
Jose Maria's back-post header gave Atletico hope 10 minutes later but there was to be no comeback as Aganzo headed in his second and Valladolid's third 14 minutes from time.
VILLARREAL 0 MALAGA 0
Malaga had marginally the better of the first half but their chances took a blow when Dario Silva was sent off on 68 minutes for a high kick on Sergio Ballesteros. The game then petered out into a draw that appeared to suit both sides.
Played Saturday:
REAL MADRID 1 REAL MALLORCA 5
Real Madrid had their lead at the top of the table cut to just a point after suffering their first home league defeat since November 1, 2000. Mallorca were the side to beat them on that occasion as well.
Ronaldo put Real ahead with a turn and shot from just inside the area in the ninth minute but an extraordinary second-half performance from Mallorca changed the game.
Walter Pandiani took a loose ball in the area and swept in for the equaliser after 48 minutes and Mallorca moved ahead four minutes later when Samuel Eto'o set up Albert Riera with a lightning break.
Eto'o scored a brilliant third in the 63rd minute, bursting past the defence and squeezing a shot past Iker Casillas, while a Roberto Carlos own goal and a neat finish from substitute striker Carlos wrapped up the scoring.
REAL SOCIEDAD 1 SEVILLA 0 Sociedad's nervous victory was enough to take them to within a point of Real Madrid.
Xabi Alonso, who made his full international debut in Spain's 4-0 win over Ecuador on Wednesday, capped a memorable week with the only goal, a flick header from Javi de Pedro's cross in the 31st minute.
Sevilla kept up the search for an equaliser until they had Pablo Alfaro sent off in the 90th minute for a late sliding tackle on Agustin Aranzabal.