A second-half own goal from Pepe earned Deportivo a shock win against runaway leaders Real Madrid in La Liga.

Madrid began the night with an eight-point lead over second-placed Barcelona, but it was relegation-threatened Deportivo who earned the spoils with a disclipined and clinicial performance.

The home side desperately needed three points to bolster their survival hopes, and deservedly took the lead just before the hour mark. Filipe Luis was the architect, bursting down the left flank before seeing his cross deflected past the wrong-footed Iker Casillas.

In what was a strangely uneventful game, Madrid's attacking threat was nullified by a highly-organised Deportivo - who packed midfield and feverishly closed down available space.

The league leaders were limited to speculative long-range efforts, including a wild blast from Guti which sailed high into the stands, summing up his team's attacking aspirations. Up front, Raul and Soldado were woefully ineffective.

Royston Drenthe perhaps the only player to make an impression. A surprise inclusion at the expense of Robinho, his marauding runs down the left flank appeared the most likely to open up the Deportivo defence.

When the moment for Robinho's inevitable arrival came, it changed little. The galacticos failed to create a single clear-cut chance the entire evening.

For the home side, Filipe was outstanding - time and again unlocking the Real defence with his incisive breaks. It was no surprise when his contribution ultimately led to Pepe's mis-timed clearance, which gifted the home side all three points.

Deportivo's win lifts them to the relative safety of 13th - taking their unbeaten run to four games.

For Madrid, this missed opportunity to extend their lead at the top of La Liga could come back to haunt them . If Barcelona win at Almeria tomorrow the gap falls to just five points, and with the great rivals scheduled to meet on May we could yet be in for a title race to savour.

La Liga round-up

Real Betis's Primera Liga match against Athletic Bilbao was abandoned on Saturday after visiting goalkeeper Armando was struck by a bottle thrown by a fan.

Bilbao were leading 2-1 during the second half at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera stadium when a fan behind the goal threw what looked like a small plastic bottle full of liquid at Armando.

The keeper, who had gone to get the ball for a goal-kick, was treated on the pitch and taken off on a stretcher. Referee Carlos Clos Gomez stopped the game with about 18 minutes left.

"Armando suffered a blow to the right eye and has bruising and a cut in the same area. He has had stitches," read a statement on the club's official website.

It is not the first time such an incident has occurred at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera.

Last season, Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, now at Tottenham Hotspur, was knocked out after being hit by a bottle thrown from the stands during a King's Cup quarter-final match there.

That game was abandoned and the remaining 33 minutes played behind closed doors at Getafe's stadium while Betis were hit with a three-match stadium ban

Will Tidey / Reuters / Eurosport