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Valencia maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid at the Estadio Nuevo Jose Zorrilla.

The visitors defended superbly as Valladolid dominated the possession before Manuel Fernandes broke the deadlock on 54 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the box.

The win moves Valencia level at the top of the table with Villarreal, with on 16 points from six games.

Valladolid controlled much of the match, with Pedro Leon particularly threatening on the right and from set-pieces, but they were unable to really test Renan thanks to some stout defending.

Mata should have made sure of the win, but the striker fired just the wrong side of the post on 72 minutes, and Leon might have made him pay had he not carelessly blasted over from 18 yards when in plenty of space.

Real Madrid 2-2 Espanyol

Real Madrid lost ground on the leaders after the champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Espanyol in an open game at the Bernabeu.

Twice Espanyol took the lead - through Raul Tamudo and then through Luis Garcia - only for Real to twice level through veteran marksman Raul.

Tamudo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Gabriel Heinze had caught the Espanyol striker in the box on 20 minutes.

But Raul hit back just four minutes later when he stooped to meet a cross with a header that evaded Carlos Kameni in the visitors' goal.

Luis Garcia put the Barclona club back into the lead just after the half hour mark, sliding in to meet Roman Martinez's superb cross into the danger area.

But Raul again showed his class in the box at the other end, prodding home in first half stoppage time to level the scores for a second time and eventually win Real a point.

Sevilla 4-0 Athletic Bilbao

Sevilla maintained their unbeaten start to the Primera Liga season by thrashing Bilbao 4-0 at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Mali striker Kanoute broke a scrappy opening 25 minute spell by capitalising on a mistake by Bilbao defender Mikel Balenziaga and Brazilian midfielder Renato headed in a Jesus Navas cross to make it two just before the break.

Adriano Correia grabbed a third 14 minutes from time and Uruguay striker Ernesto Chevanton cut through Bilbao's disorganised defence for number four five minutes later.

Recreativo Huevla 0-4 Malaga

Malaga thumped Recreativo 4-0 thanks to two goals from Portuguese midfielder Eliseu and one each from fellow midfielder Duda and striker Nabil Baha.

Eliseu opened the scoring in the first minute and Baha doubled the lead five minutes before halftime, nodding home from a corner. Eliseu set up fellow countryman Duda for an easy third just after the break and completed the scoring on 62 minutes.

Getafe 2-2 Almeria

Late headed goals from striker Alvaro Negrado on 87 minutes and defender Chico in injury time rescued an unlikely point for Almeria at Getafe.

Nigeria striker Ikechukwu Uche had given the home side the lead on 68 minutes after a mazy run through the Almeria defence and Francisco Casquero grabbed the second three minutes later before his side surrendered their lead at the death.

Real Mallorca 0-2 Sporting Gijon

Sporting Gijon collected their first points of the season after Carmelo Gonzalez's 12th minute strike and Roberto Canella calm finish five minutes into the second half moved the promoted side off the foot of the table.

Sporting, who lost 7-1 to Real Madrid and 6-1 to Barcelona in recent weeks survived pressure from the home side in the second half including a missed penalty from Cameroon striker Pierre Webo.

Osasuna 0-1 Racing Santander

Juan Valera, on loan from Atletico Madrid, struck two minutes into injury time to give Racing their first win of the season.

In a messy 90 minutes, Osasuna's Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil was sent off for handling in the area only for Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay missed the subsequent spot kick.

Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 Numancia

Angel Lafita's neat backward header over Numancia keeper Juan Pablo Colina on 13 minutes was enough to give Depor their second win of the season in a balanced contest.

Alex Sharratt and Reuters / Eurosport