Defending champions Real Madrid won a seven goal thriller against Mallorca 4-3 at the Bernabeu to go four points clear at the top of La Liga, while Villarreal leapfrog Barcelona into second after a 3-2 home win over Sevilla.

Brazilian forward Robinho scored twice for Real, with Fernando Varela doing the same for the visitors in the first half, while David Guiza, Raul and van Nistelrooy all scored after the break.

The match began at a blistering pace, with Mallorca's Guillermo Pereyra missing a free header and then Ruud van Nistelrooy just missing a low ball across the box from Raul within the opening five minutes.

The match promised goals and they duly came, with three in the space of five minutes.

Robinho, playing some of the best football of his Madrid career under coach Bernd Schuster, backheeled the ball out to Marcelo on the left wing, and the Brazilian chipped the ball back into the box for his international colleague to send a looping header over Mallorca 'keeper German Lux and into the top corner.

After making that goal, Marcelo was then at fault for Mallorca's equaliser just two minutes later. The full back failed to deal with a long, hopeful ball forward and Varela pounced to take the ball around Real's Iker Casillas and roll it into the empty net.

The lead was restored at the end of a breathtaking spell on 16 minutes when Wesley Sneijder stabbed through a ball to Robinho who stroked a shot into the bottom corner.

The Mallorca players were adamant that the goal shouldn't have stood, and replays showed that, while Robinho was level when the ball was played, Raul got a touch of the ball on the way through after Robinho had stepped into an offside position.

The frenetic pace of the match died down somewhat after that goal, but Varela restored parity for a second time with ten minutes of the half left when he was allowed the time and space to unleash a stunning strike from 30 yards out that flew into the top corner with Casillas rooted to the spot.

The second half was just as entertaining, with both sides determined to go for the win, and it was the Islanders who took the lead for the first time in the match. David Guiza, who like Real boss Schuster left Getafe last summer, pounced on a rare mistake by Mahamadou Diarra to finish clinically.

As with the first half, one goal was swiftly followed by another, but this time Robinho turned provider, breaking into the box at pace and squaring a low cross to Raul who could barely miss from three yards out.

Last season's Pichichi van Nistelrooy had a quiet game by his standards, but with 20 minutes to go he sprinted towards goal and slotted in a finish that Lux could only get his fingertips to.

In the later match, Villarreal came from behind to beat ten-man Sevilla 3-2 at El Madrigal and move second in La Liga.

Daniel Alves was sent off just before half time after picking up two yellow cards, the first for a tussle with Guille Franco - who scored a brace - and the second only four minutes later for a deliberate handball.

But it seemed as if they would go on to get at least a point from the match after Luis Fabiano put them 2-1 up from a corner five minutes after the restart, overcoming Franco's header on the half hour, which Fredi Kanoute had equalised soon after by springing the home side's offside trap.

Following Sevilla's lead Villarreal pressed continually, Marcos Senna - who set up Franco's first goal - going close before creating a near-identical equaliser for Franco on 67 minutes.

Jesus Navas hit the post almost immediately afterwards but the night belonged to the Yellow Submarines when Colombian defender Aquivaldo Mosquera fouled Matias Fernandez in the box, who dusted himself down to send the spot-kick past Andres Palop into the bottom left with five minutes remaining.

Villarreal move up to second, three points ahead of Barcelona - who lost to Getafe on Saturday - and one behind leaders Real Madrid, while Sevilla stay tenth.

Earlier Espanyol beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at home thanks to a last-minute own goal from Aitor Ocio.

Espanyol moved up to fifth place on 22 points, one ahead of Atletico Madrid who were held to a goalless draw at promoted Almeria.

Racing Santander climbed to seventh with a 1-0 away win at Deportivo Coruna ahead of Real Zaragoza who fell 2-1 at Real Betis.

Betis's Argentine striker Mariano Pavone scored two goals in the last nine minutes to complete a dramatic comeback and ease the pressure on underfire coach Hector Cuper.

Atletico Madrid lost pace with the top four after failing to win away to Almeria, with the match ending 0-0.

Real Valladolid lifted themselves out of the relegation zone, beating Levante 1-0 courtesy of a second half goal from Johnathon Sesma. Levante remain rooted to the bottom with just four points.

Recreativo also remain in the bottom three despite Carlos Martins' goal giving them a 1-0 win at home to Osasuna.

Tony Mabert and Reda Maher / Eurosport