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Valencia cruised to a 3-1 win at Osasuna to move back up to third in Spain's Liga.

Davild Villa (pictured) opened the scoring, with midfielders David Albelda and Carlos Marchena extending Los Che's lead before Masoud Shojaei pulled one back for the hosts, who finished the game with nine men after Walter Pandiani and - in a moment of lunacy - captain Francisco Punal were given their marching orders.

Valencia were never under threat and took a 12th-minute lead when Villa produced an improvised spinning finish to send Marchena's scooped pass beyond Ricardo into the bottom right.

Former skipper Albelda doubled the lead eight minutes later, with a 30-yard lob after a concerted spell of pressure from his team's attacking quartet of Villa, David Silva, Pablo Hernandez and Joaquin.

Los Che keeper Cesar Sanchez was harshly booked for time wasting after he was hit by an object thrown from the crowd, but other than some bruising aerial challenges from Carlos Aranda - one of which saw him booked for leaving David Navarro in a heap - the hosts offered little going forward.

Navarro recovered from his brush with Aranda's skull and came close to making it 3-0 but, three minutes before the break, the defender could only poke Silva's low cross into the side netting.

Osasuna tried gamely to pull one back after the break but the next goal came for the visitors, skipper Marchena looping a long-range effort over Ricardo and off the underside of the bar after good work down the right from full-back Bruno Saltor.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts, who lost striker Pandiani to a second yellow card after he put an arm across Marchena's throat.

But minutes later Iranian substitute Masoud pulled one back when he headed Punal's cross past Cesar to give the home fans something to cheer.

Play was stopped after another object was thrown on the pitch, this time aimed at Valencia left-back Jeremy Mathieu, and as Osasuna tired the visitors went close through Villa and Alexis, who both put over.

A bad night for the mid-table Pamplona-based side was rounded off when, deep into injury time, Punal inexplicably kicked out at Valencia sub Ever Banega to earn a straight red card that will no doubt result in a ban for violent conduct.

Malaga's winless streak continued after they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Zaragoza in a clash marred by shocking player behaviour.

The hosts, whose only win in 11 matches came on the first day of the season, fell behind to a contentious Ewerthon penalty but equalised through 21-year-old debutant Ivan Gonzalez.

Both sides were reduced to 10 men, several players were booked for dives and Malaga midfielder Apono escaped a red card after officials missed a disgraceful spit in the face of Ander Herrera.

Before the clash, Malaga and Zaragoza had four wins in 20 Liga matches between them and it was easy to see why.

Neither side were willing to take any risks, lumbering at a pedestrian pace with chances arising through luck more than judgement.

All three clear-cut chances that did come in the first half fell to the hosts.

Visiting keeper Javier Lopez Vallejo saved well from Albert Luque at his near post while Malaga midfielder Fernando missed two good opportunities from close range, heading a corner over and poking a Luque cross wide when sliding in at the far post.

Both sides came out for the second half with more intent, as Malaga's on-loan Internazionale striker Victor Obinna headed straight at Lopez Vallejo almost from kick off.

The visitors took the lead three minutes in, through Ewerthon's controversial penalty, won by Angel Lafita, who went to ground even though keeper Gustavo Munua had withdrawn from the challenge.

A previously lacklustre match took a turn just before the hour mark when both sides were reduced to 10 men in the space of two minutes.

Zaragoza left-back Javier Paredes was the first to go, getting a second yellow for successive cynical blocks on Jesus Gamez, while in the penalty area ahead of the subsequent free-kick, Malaga's Wellington saw straight red for a clear elbow on Raul Goni.

Despite the additional space, there was little improvement and it took a set-piece to draw the hosts level, Gonzalez rising at the far post to meet Luque's 74th-minute corner with a towering header.

Malaga woke from their slumber and, sensing a late winner, pushed men forward and went close through Obinna and Luque but were unable to find a way past Lopez Vallejo.

The latter stages featured some disgraceful scenes, with scuffles lasting four minutes after Malaga's Apono got away with a phlegm assault on Ander after the pair went head-to-head.

Malaga sub Fernando Forestieri idiotically dived when his touch took him and the ball past keeper Lopez Vallejo, spurning the chance to win the match in the last minute of normal time and earning himself a booking in the process.

Zaragoza almost snatched an injury-time win but were foiled by the woodwork, which saved Gamez an own-goal, and by a bad miss from sub Gabi, who put over after Ewerthon found him free at the far post.

Malaga stay bottom while Zaragoza remain 14th.

Brazil striker Nilmar scored twice to lead Villarreal to a 3-1 home win over Real Valladolid that moved them up to 11th in La Liga.

The in-form Nilmar, who scored in Brazil's recent friendlies against England and Oman, headed the opener after seven minutes and looped in a second header just after the re-start.

Italy's Giuseppe Rossi made it 3-0 before Diego Costa pulled one back for the visitors, but Ernesto Valverde's side continued their steady climb up the table after being rooted to the bottom last month.

Real Madrid replaced Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday after Gonzalo Higuain scored in a 1-0 home win over Racing Santander, moving them on to 28 points from 11 games.

Champions Barca were held 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao and have 27 points, two ahead of third-placed Sevilla, who beat promoted Tenerife 2-1 away.

Deportivo la Coruna overcame Atletico Madrid 2-1 but stay fifth after Valencia's win.

Mallorca maintained their 100 percent record at the Ono Estadi with a 3-1 victory over Almeria, but it needed two late strikes from Victor and Gonzalo Castro, who bagged his second of the game, to secure all three points.

Mallorca are sixth with 20 points.

Reda Maher / Reuters