Real Madrid retained their La Liga crown in dramatic style after beating Osasuna 2-1 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra.

The defending champions were down to 10 men when Francisco Punal's penalty put the struggling hosts ahead with less than ten minutes remaining before late goals from Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain ensured Los Meringues won back-to-back titles for the first time in 18 years.

Real will now be able to parade the trophy in front of their home fans on Wednesday night, when they host arch-rivals Barcelona, while Osasuna only remain outside the bottom three on goal difference.

Coach Bernd Schuster's side looked as though they would have to put their celebrations on hold after a hard-fought match with few chances, and things got worse for them when defender Fabio Cannavaro was sent off less than a minute after the break for a second yellow card.

When Gabriel Heinze handballed needlessly from a corner in the final ten minutes, Punal sent goalkeeper Iker Casillas the wrong way to calmly roll his penalty in, and it looked as though that goal would send Osasuna three points clear of the relegation zone.

Going behind forced Real into showing their quality, and they equalised with their very next attack when substitute Higuain's free-kick was headed in by Robben.

Real followed that goal up with another swift attack. This time Sergio Ramos managed to slip a ball through to Higuain in the 89th minute and the Argentinian blasted the ball past Ricardo to spark wild celebrations on the pitch and on the Real bench.

BARCELONA 6-0 VALENCIA

Barcelona bounced back from their Champions League heartbreak in midweek by thrashing Valencia 6-0 at the Nou Camp.

A match which at the start of the season was viewed as a potential title-decider was settled by two goals each from Thierry Henry and substitute Bojan, a penalty from Lionel Messi and a strike from Xavi Hernandez.

Valencia started the match just two points above the relegation zone, while Barcelona had all but given up on winning the title, and the home fans showed their displeasure at their second consecutive season without silverware by waving their white handkerchiefs before kick-off.

Messi went some way to appeasing them after just five minutes when he was fouled by defender Alexis on the edge of the area, and stroked the resulting spot-kick into the bottom corner.

Xavi doubled the lead just three minutes later when he pounced on a loose ball to fire a low shot past keeper Timo Hildebrand.

Henry scored his first of the match just 15 minutes in, latching onto the Samuel Eto'o's ball pulled back from the by-line to sidefoot in.

Henry scored his second and Barca's fourth on the hour mark with a well-struck curling effort into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Bojan replaced Eto'o soon afterward and continued to plague the beleaguered Valencia defence.

He scored after being on the pitch for just five minutes when a fine passage of play with capped by Deco's defence-splitting pass to the teenager that he controlled and finished in clinical fashion.

With ten minutes remaining the rout was complete when fellow substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen squared a ball across goal for the unmarked Bojan to strike first-time.

The win will be cold comfort for Barca's fans, however, as they may have to see their team give Real Madrid a guard of honour as champions when the two sides meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

VILLARREAL 2-0 GETAFE

Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci struck two first-half goals to give Villarreal a win that makes them favourites to take runners-up spot in the league.

Nihat scored his first when he side-footed home after fellow striker Giuseppe Rossi had slid the ball across the face of the goal and took his tally for the season to 17 when he picked his spot at the far post after good work from Robert Pires.

ALMERIA 1-1 REAL BETIS

German winger David Odonkor put Betis ahead with his first goal of the season, firing past Almeria keeper Diego Alves after a great solo run down the right flank.

Almeria defender Ruben Pulido equalised at the start of the second half, taking advantage of some sloppy defending to clip a close-range shot past keeper Casto.

ATHLETIC BILBAO 1-2 REAL MALLORCA

Mallorca striker Dani Guiza became the favourite for the Pichichi (top league scorer) with 24 goals, 18 of which have come away from home, after notching a neat double at San Mames.

The Spaniard put the islanders ahead after three minutes when he brought down a long cross from Juan Arango with his right foot and then fired home with his left.

Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente equalised six minutes later when the big centre-forward headed in after a corner, but Guiza secured the win when he nodded across the line after another corner 20 minutes from time.

LEVANTE 1-1 ESPANYOL

Espanyol, who had taken just two points from their previous six games, needed a last-minute penalty from striker Luis Garcia to earn a draw at already-relegated Levante who took the lead through a great solo goal from midfielder Juanma.

Levante had midfielder Mathieu Berson sent off just before half-time but Espanyol defender Marc Torrejon followed him down the tunnel on the hour.

Levante were reduced to nine men in the final minute when defender Alvaro was sent off for the penalty.

RACING SANTANDER 3-2 REAL MURCIA

Javier Clemente's Murcia were relegated after squandering a two-goal lead against Racing who remain in the race for the Champions League places after this impressive comeback win.

Murcia went 2-0 up inside the half-hour thanks to goals from Dani Aquino and Ivan Alonso, but Racing pulled one back before the break when defender David de Coz turned a Mohamed Tchite cross into his own net.

Midfielder Jorge Lopez equalised 40 seconds into the second half and Pedro Munitis struck the winner when he lifted a first-time shot high into the net.

Murcia ended the game with nine men after Alvaro Mejia and Stephane Pignol were sent off within three minutes of each other.

SEVILLA 2-0 VALLADOLID

Two goals from Brazilian midfielder Renato kept Sevilla in the hunt for a Champions League place and left Valladolid just two points above the relegation zone.

Renato scored his first when he headed in after a fine cross from winger Diego Capel in the ninth minute and made it 2-0 when he rounded keeper Sergio Asenjo late in the first half.

Tony Mabert / Reuters