Valencia save best for last against Bilbao

A dramatic last-minute penalty save by Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares secured his side a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday that kept them in touch with Primera Liga leaders Real Madrid.

The Spanish international pulled off a superb one-handed stop to turn Ismael Urzaiz's spot kick around the post in the third minute of injury time in a nail-biting finale to the match at the Mestalla.

Champions Real Madrid ensured they would stay top of the table on Saturday when they snatched their first league victory in 20 years at the Nou Camp with a 2-1 win over arch-rivals Barcelona.

Real now lead on 33 points from 15 games, two ahead of Valencia and three clear of Deportivo Coruna, who edged a 1-0 win over Malaga on Saturday.

Modest Navarran side Osasuna, who continued their impressive start to the season with a classy 3-2 win over Celta Vigo also on Saturday, are in fourth a further four points behind.

Fifth-placed Atletico Madrid bounced back from their midweek defeat against city rivals Real when teenage striker Fernando Torres scored both goals in their 2-0 win over basement club Espanyol.

Meanwhile Real Mallorca continued their remarkable revival under new coach Luis Aragones with a 1-0 win over in-form Valladolid on Sunday to notch their fifth league victory in a row.

Striker Fernando Correa poached the only goal of the game when he drilled home a rebound in the 15th minute after Valladolid keeper Albano Bizzarri had palmed a stinging shot from Brazilian midfielder Nene into his path.

The victory catapulted Mallorca up into sixth place in the table, two points behind Atletico Madrid.

Valencia looked on course for an easy win at the Mestalla when winger Vicente put them ahead in the first half with a close-range volley after a clever cross from Jorge Lopez.

But Bilbao hit back when midfielder Santi Ezquerro slotted in after some uncharacteristically slack defending from the Valencia back four after the break.

Vicente was on hand once more, though, to restore Valencia's lead midway through the second half when he guided the ball in from the edge of the area after some quick-thinking from Pablo Aimar.

But the match came to a nerve-riddled climax with the dramatic events of the last five minutes.

Valencia midfielder Franciso Rufete saw his penalty saved by Daniel Aranzubia after Bilbao defender was harshly sent off for tangling with Vicente in the area.

There was still time for Valencia defender Roberto Ayala to be dismissed as a result of an equally tough penalty decision at the other end which resulted in Canizares's brilliant match-winning save.

At the other end of the table there was a morale-boosting result for Albacete, who moved out of the relegation zone for the first time this season thanks to an emphatic 4-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday.

The result means that last season's runners-up Real Sociedad, who crashed to a 4-0 defeat at home to Real Betis on Saturday, now replace Albacete in the drop zone.

Fellow Champions League team Celta are also in trouble and only lead the Basque side in the standings by virtue of their superior goal difference.