Rate it!

11 votes

Real Madrid won comfortably 3-0 at home to Tenerife to top La Liga after Barcelona only won 2-0 at Malaga.

Karim Benzema scored a brace before Kaka added a superb top-corner strike to put Madrid top of the table until Barcelona's match.

In Malaga, Zlatan Ibrahimovic came on for the injured Thierry Henry and opened the scoring before Gerard Pique made it two after the break - but a third goal eluded them and so Los Merengues remain top.

Tenerife looked dangerous in the first half but a combination of poor finishing and in-form Real keeper Iker Casillas kept them at bay.

Sergio Aragoneses also pulled off a stunning close save from home captain Raul in the first 45 minutes and the interval arrived with the score goalless.

Only two minutes into the second period Madrid had the lead, France striker Benzema rising to nod in the returning Xabi Alonso's excellent free-kick.

Kome and Nino should have done better in promising positions for Tenerife - the latter lobbing the onrushing Casillas, but over the crossbar - while Cristiano Ronaldo beat several men but was denied by the visiting goalkeeper.

A couple of minutes afterwards Benzema had all the time in the world to bend the ball into the far corner for 2-0 and could have had a hat-trick, shooting low past the far post from a lovely reverse pass by Kaka.

Tenerife struck the base of the post through substitute Omar with Casillas stranded - Pepe, returning after a 10-match suspension, diving across the line - before Casillas pulled off a marvellous double save from Richi and Nino.

Kaka made sure of the points from distance, picking up the ball and bending a delicious shot into the top corner, while Ronaldo was not happy when Manuel Pellegrini brought him off late on.

Pep Guardiola's Barca emerged victorious 2-0 in a fractious encounter against a Malaga side determined to deny them space.

Home centre-half Weligton was the root cause of much of the problems, deliberately stepping on Lionel Messi's ankle after the ball was dead in the opening period then throwing an arm at the back of Pique's head after the break.

Ibrahimovic should have opened the scoring on 38 minutes, shooting straight at Munua with time in the box; instead he put the ball into the back of the net on 39, finishing off a lobbed Messi through-ball. It was his fifth goal in five Liga matches since his summer move from Internazionale.

The match, interrupted throughout by free-kicks and arguments between the teams, was ended as a contest when Piquet stole in to put away a Xavi free-kick; Munua should have saved his soft volley.

Messi wasted two chances to add a third - the second of them in injury time - while Pique fired over.

A solid Malaga lacked the firepower of the visitors and their frustration boiled over when substitute Albert Luque was sent off for a late tackle on Daniel Alves.

Guardiola's assistant Tito Vilanova was sent to the stands in the second half for complaining to the referee.

Valencia conceded an injury-time goal at the Mestalla to draw 2-2 and relieve some of the pressure on under-fire Atletico Madrid coach Abel Resino.

Substitute Maxi Rodriguez finished at the back post in the second minute of four added on for stoppages after Antonio Lopez's cross was accidentally flicked into his path by home defender Alexis.

An explosive opening half saw Sergio Aguero first put Atleti ahead on seven minutes after excellent interlinking between Jose Manuel Jurado and Diego Forlan.

Two goals in three minutes gave Valencia the lead, Pablo Hernandez controlling an Ever Banega chipped pass before darting inside and scoring inside the near post then David Villa making no mistake when put through by David Silva.

On the touchline Resino roared his frustration to the night sky as Atleti missed chances late on before Maxi's strike.

Athletic Bilbao were stunned 4-0 at home by Sevilla, Renato, Alvaro Negredo, Fredi Kanoute and Jesus Navas grabbing the goals.

The Andalusian club moved three points clear of Athletic with the win and occupy third spot, directly above the Basques.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport