Leaders Real Madrid beat Villarreal 3-2 at home to pull nine points clear at the top of the Primera Liga, as all their nearest rivals dropped points.

Brazil forward Robinho scored a goal in each half in a pulsating match at the Bernabeu, in which Giuseppe Rossi and Joan Capdevila had twice levelled for third-placed Villarreal.

Wesley Sneijder scored the winner as Real made the most of second-placed Barcelona's 1-1 draw away to Athletic Bilbao.

Real's eighth consecutive win puts them on have 53 points, Barca have 44 and Villarreal 38. Atletico Madrid and Espanyol both lost as their vague pretensions of challenging for the title were knocked back even further.

ATHLETIC CLUB 1 BARCELONA 1

Another low key performance from Barca saw them held by struggling Athletic Club at San Mames. Barca edged in front when striker Bojan Krkic scored with a low shot in the 35th minute, but the hosts levelled 11 minutes from time when French defender Lilian Thuram turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Fernando Llorente

Athletic - who move one point above the relegation zone after the win - looked more likely to score in the closing stages. Barca could slip nine points behind Liga leaders Real Madrid, who host Villarreal later on Sunday.

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DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA 3 VALLADOLID 1

Depor were on course for only their second home win of the season when defender Alberto Lopo scrambled the ball in at a corner in the seventh minute.

Striker Xisco broke away to double the lead in the 46th and Mexican Andres Guardado made it three in the 72nd.

Valladolid had goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo sent off two minutes later but striker Victor pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 83rd.

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ESPANYOL 1 REAL BETIS 2

Betis's dominance paid off in the 45th minute when midfielder Alberto Rivera broke clear and clipped the ball wide of the keeper.

Espanyol levelled when Spain striker Luis Garcia curled a free kick over the wall in the 52nd but Brazilian striker Edu's far post header in the 91st made it three consecutive defeats for the faltering Barcelona-based side.

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RACING SANTANDER 2 REAL ZARAGOZA 2

Racing took the lead with a swift attack down the right which 18-year-old striker Ivan Bolado lashed in at the near post in the fourth minute.

Zaragoza, in coach Javier Irureta's first game at the helm, fought back with goals from Argentina striker Gabriel Milito in the 61st and Albert Celades in 84th, before Racing striker Mohamed Tchite stole an equaliser at a corner in the 92nd minute.

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REAL MALLORCA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 0

Mallorca's Venezuelan forward Juan Arango reacted quickest to score from close range in the 21st minute against an out-of-sorts Atletico, who lost winger Jose Antonio Reyes to a red card in the 86th minute. It was Mallorca's first win in eight.

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REAL MURCIA 2 LEVANTE 3

Bottom club Levante had to come from behind for their first away win of the season after striker Ivan Alonso flicked Murcia in front in the 46th minute.

Brazilian defender Alvaro headed them level from a corner in the 73rd, and striker Riga scored from the penalty spot in the 83rd after Murcia's Alvaro Mejia had been sent off.

Levante's Serbian goalkeeper Vladan Kujovic fumbled a corner into his own net in the 89th, but midfielder Pedro Leon floated a winner in off the far post.

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RECREATIVO HUELVA 1 GETAFE 3

Recre made it six games without a win and were booed off after losing at home to Getafe.

Getafe's Uruguayan midfielder Juan Albin powered into the area and scored after three minutes but Recre levelled through Javier Camunas at the end of a counter after the quarter hour mark.

Midfielder Esteban Granero restored Getafe's lead direct from a free kick in the 44th and striker Manu del Moral headed the third in the 91st.

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VALENCIA 0 ALMERIA 1

Almeria's Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo scored through a ragged home defence in the 21st minute and condemned Ronald Koeman's toothless Valencia to a ninth consecutive league game without a win. The out-of-sorts Che was booed off at the end.

Reuters