Brief reports of Primera Liga matches played on Sunday:
ATLETICO MADRID 1 ESPANYOL 1
Four games without a win for Atletico who have failed to live up to expectations under Argentine coach Carlos Bianchi.
They made an encouraging start when French midfielder Peter Luccin blasted the ball past Carlos Kameni from 30 metres in the eighth minute.
But Espanyol snatched an equaliser before the Atletico fans had finished their celebrating, defender Daniel Jarque heading in off the far post after a corner.
BARCELONA 4 RACING SANTANDER 1
Leading scorer Samuel Eto'o put Barca ahead with a magnificent solo goal on the half hour and Argentine teenager Lionel Messi added a second when he cut in from the right wing.
Ronaldinho, who had missed a penalty in the opening minutes, atoned for his error when he blasted home from the spot in the second half and defender Silvinho made it 4-0 nine minutes later.
Francisco Casquero scored a consolation for Racing from the penalty spot, but their evening ended on a low note when forward David Aganzo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
DEPORTIVO CORUNA 0 VILLARREAL 2
Villarreal extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a deserved victory at the Riazor.
Juan Roman Riquelme put the visitors ahead when he curled a free kick around the wall and past Jose Molina 10 minutes into the second half. Fellow Argentine Juan Pablo Sorin made it 2-0 when he rifled home after the Depor keeper had beaten a Riquelme shot into his path.
GETAFE 3 MALAGA 2
Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso took the honorary kickoff at the Coliseum where the game was appropriately played at breakneck speed.
Midfielder Nacho put Malaga in front midway through the first half, but Getafe equalised two minutes later with a close-range shot from striker Veljko Paunovic.
The Madrid-based side went ahead when Malaga midfielder Gerardo turned into his own net after a fine run from Getafe striker Daniel Guiza.
Malaga midfielder Juan Rodriguez poked in from close range early in the second half to level the score once again but Paunovic snatched the winner five minutes from time after being given room to run by the defence.
OSASUNA 3 ALAVES 2
Javier Aguirre's side came from a goal down to preserve their perfect home record in an entertaining match at El Sadar.
Br azilian forward Nene put Alaves ahead when he stabbed home after Osasuna keeper Ricardo had parried a Ruben Navarro header into his path 11 minutes after the break.
Osasuna equalised three minutes later when Savo Milosevic ghosted in at the far post after a corner and skipper Patxi Punal put them in front from the penalty spot midway through the half.
Moroccan midfielder Moha made it 3-1 after latching on to a huge pass from inside his own half but, though former Osasuna striker John Aloisi pulled one back for the visitors, it was not enough to prevent another home win for the Navarrans.
REAL BETIS 1 CADIZ 1
Betis's miserable season continued when they surrendered an early lead to end up drawing with their fellow Andalucians.
Br azilian midfielder Marcos Assuncao finished off a neat passing move by squeezing a shot inside the near post to put Betis ahead in the seventh minute.
Things started to go wrong for Betis when midfielder Alberto Rivera was sent off for a second booking just before the hour and Cadiz earned a valuable away point when midfielder Manolo Perez converted a penalty after winger Fabian Estoyanoff was felled by keeper Toni Doblas.
REAL SOCIEDAD 2 REAL MADRID 2
Real seemed to be down and out when they trailed 2-0 to Sociedad at a rain-soaked Anoeta after a Xabi Prieto penalty and a diving header from Oscar de Paula.
Things deteriorated when defender Sergio Ramos was sent off for the third time this season after picking up a second booking 17 minutes from time, although the damage was minimised when Sociedad midfielder Gaizka Garitano followed him down the tunnel soon after.
Real were thrown a lifeline when substitute Raul Bravo scored after a David Beckham corner in the 87th minute and Zinedine Zidane equalised when he steered home after Sociedad keeper Asier Riesgo failed to deal with another cross from the England captain.
REAL ZARAGOZA 0 SEVILLA 2
Sevilla claimed their first win in 10 years at La Romareda thanks to second-half strikes from Javier Saviola and Daniel Alves.
Zaragoza, with just one win this season, faced an uphill task when goalkeeper Cesar was dismissed six minutes before the break for handling outside the area after Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute had broken clear.
Sevilla eventually took advantage when Argentine striker Saviola scored just before the hour and Br azilian midfielder Daniel Alves made the most of a rebound to add a second in injury time.
Played on Saturday:
REAL MALLORCA 0 ATHLETIC BILBAO 1
Bilbao clinched a morale-boosting first win in 12 outings with a second-half strike from centre-back Luis Prieto.
The Basques had been on the back foot for most of the game, but Prieto earned them a vital three points when he fired home a 30-metre drive after a free kick was touched into his path 11 minutes after the break.
VALENCIA 2 CELTA VIGO 0
A dominant Valencia looked as though they might be frustrated by the Galicians and their in-form keeper Jose Manuel Pinto who kept the home side at bay with some top-class saves either side of the break.
But Valencia striker David Villa broke the deadlock 18 minutes from time when he burst on to a through-pass, fended off a defender and slotted home at the near post.
Br azilian defender Fabio Aurelio sealed the win five minutes later when he met an inswinging free kick from Vicente with a diving header.