Real Madrid emerged 2-0 winners at home to Osasuna to guarantee the Liga top spot at Christmas regardless of what happens against Barcelona next week. A Ruud van Nistelrooy header and Wesley Sneijder cracker were enough in an indifferent Madrid performance.

Osasuna were far from fazed by the prospect of facing the Liga leaders and controlled large spells of the match without engineering any clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities, Miguel Flano's header across goal the closest they came - the ball dropping just past a relieved Iker Casillas's post.

Sneijder showed the visitors exactly how to put in a cross, his David Beckham-esque whipped set-piece from the right flank headed inside the far post by a completely unmarked Van Nistelrooy.

Robinho enjoyed a lot of the ball on the left for Madrid, though he was often faced off by two defenders. It was his skill in the second half that gave Sneijder the chance to score, spinning between two challenges near the halfway line before feeding Guti.

The out-of-favour sometime captain nipped the ball to Van Nistelrooy, who laid it on for Dutch compatriot Sneijder. The midfielder needed one touch to control, two to smack the ball into the far corner like a bullet.

Robinho also saw Osasuna 'keeper Ricardo tip around a pair of drives, although another effort by Sneijder left him standing - the ball whistling past the top corner from a central position.

Skipper Raul almost made it two before that when he cut out a shocking Ricardo clearance, only to hit his shot on the turn into the side-netting of the open goal - to the disbelief of the ultras behind it.

Arsenal prospect Carlos Vela showed why he is so highly-rated on occasion, testing Casillas from distance, but that was the story of the match for the Pamplona club.

Dady, who started alone in attack, was given late assistance by former Madridista Javier Portillo after spending the majority of the 90 minutes chasing lost causes.

Recreativo de Huelva 0-0 Atlético de Madrid

Recreativo and Atletico Madrid shared a goalless draw at Nuevo Colombino but either side could have scored the winner in an eventful second-half.

Despite the better 45 minutes coming after the break, the major talking point of the match came at the conclusion of a first half plagued by poor final balls.

Atletico wasted it, Maxi Rodriguez opting to go to ground as Stefano Sorrentino came out to narrow the angle on goal.

As the Argetine fell Sorrentino scythed him down and the ball ran to Diego Forlan, who stuck it into the empty net. Referee Dauden Ibanez was not impressed with the initial decision by 'El Kun' and booked him for diving as he limped off for treatment, controversially awarding Recre a free-kick.

Atleti's other chance before the break involved a lay-off by Maxi to the edge of the box where Forlan struck at goal, only for Sorrentino to beat it away low down. Aguero was also unlucky to be penalised for a foul on Iago Bouzon, without which he would have been through on goal.

Recreativo could only hark to Carlos Martins's shot wide as evidence of a close attack on goal in the first period yet came out for the second looking to change all that and the game sparked into life.

Aguero had a pair of one-on-ones from which he was unable to score, the first blocked by Sorrentino and second foolishly chipped into the impressive 'keeper's arms. At the other end Javier Camunas took advantage of hesitant defending by Mariano Pernia in shooting just wide of the near post.

Camunas also had a half-volley from 18 yards that Christian Abbiati dived to his post to parry while Raul Garcia, whose passing was excellent, was unfortunate to see a similar effort saved by Sorrentino.

That was late in the match, just after substitute Jose Antonio Reyes, slipped in by the clever Diego Forlan, tried to finish inside the near post - but Sorrentino finished his night's work with another important save.

Deportivo 1-1 Real Zaragoza

Zaragoza's Argentine striker Diego Milito nodded in a deflected shot in the 17th minute, but Depor's Argentine defender Fabricio Coloccini headed an equaliser in the 53rd.

Depor had defender Chapi sent off in the 88th and Zaragoza hit the post at the end. The result did little for under-fire coaches Miguel Angel Lotina and Victor Fernandez.

Getafe 1-3 Villarreal

Villarreal's Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci burst through the centre to net the opener in the 16th minute and added a second in the 79th from Santi Cazorla's pull back.

Cazorla made it three in the 84th and two minutes later Getafe striker Kepa Blanco pounced on an error to cut the deficit.

Villarreal had Argentine defender Fabricio Fuentes sent off in the 90th, but Kepa missed the ensuing penalty. Villarreal ended a run of three games without a win.

Real Betis 3-1 Almeria

Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo converted a 10th minute penalty but the visitors were down to 10 men in the 15th when Peruvian defender Santiago Acasiete collected his second yellow card.

Almeria goalkeeper David Cobeno got a straight red for a foul in the area and Betis's Brazilian striker Edu scored from the following penalty in the 28th.

Argentine striker Mariano Pavone struck Betis's second in the 51st and added a third on a breakaway in the 83rd.

Real Mallorca 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Mallorca lost Portuguese defender Jose Carlos Nunes to a red card in the 34th minute but Bilbao failed to make the extra man count and Mallorca almost nicked it at the end.

Real Murcia 2-1 Racing Santander

Murcia's Swedish striker Henok Goitom scored with a diving header in the 57th minute, but Racing's Polish forward Ebi Smolarek levelled with a header from a corner in the 63rd.

Murcia's Brazilian striker Fernando Baiano hit the winner from the penalty spot in the 83rd.

Valladolid 0-0 Sevilla

Valladolid foiled yet another big name at the Zorrilla but should have made more of their numerical advantage after Sevilla had defender Federico Fazio and striker Luis Fabiano sent off in the 52nd and 82nd minutes respectively.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport