Getafe 3 - 1 Real madrid

Juan Albin was the star of the show as Getafe beat local rivals Real Madrid 3-1 to make it a miserable return to his former club for Bernd Schuster.

Albin struck twice at the start of each half and also set up substitute Ike Uche for Getafe's third as the small club from the outskirts of Madrid prevented their more illustrious neighbours from moving level with Barcelona at the summit.

Javier Saviola pulled a goal back for Madrid, but the champions can have no complaints about the result and the scoreline could even have been even more embarrassing for Schuster's outclassed side.

Barcelona 1 - 1 Getafe ----------- All results

Barcelona's run of nine consecutive league victories came to end with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Getafe at Camp Nou. Manu gave the visitors a deserved lead with a fine curling shot midway through the first half before Seydou Keita headed home to appease the frustrated home crowd on 71 minutes. But for once Barcelona could not find a late goal to claim victory and were forced to drop their first points since a 1-1 draw with Racing Santander in early September. The result left Pep Guardiola's team three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, while Getafe remain in the relative safety of 14th. Despite Barca's all-conquering form of late, it was Getafe who started the more confident side, dominating possession in the early exchanges. The visitors went ahead on 19 minutes when Manu collected a deflection off Gerard Pique and curled home a fine shot from 25 yards past Victor Valdes. Sylvinho and Samuel Eto'o went close with long-range efforts in the run-up to half-time, but ultimately Barca went into the break having failed to create a clear-cut opening. The second half brought predictable changes from Guardiola, who introduced Thierry Henry and Pedro to invigorate his lacklustre team Getafe could have doubled lead just after the hour mark, however, when Angel burst into the box before shooting just past the post with only Valdes to beat. But Barca gradually became dominant in midfield, with Xavi and Henry seeing plenty of the ball, and eventually the home side pulled level. Dani Alves was the creator, collecting possession on the right flank and curling over an inviting cross to the unmarked Keita six yards out. The striker headed home with ease to claim his second goal in as many games. The home side could have won the match on 80 minutes, but Roberto Abbondanzieri produced a spectacular stop to deny Pique's powerful header. Numancia 1-1 Atletico Madrid Atletico's Simao Sabrosa laid on the opener for Uruguay's Diego Forlan with a great pass after 35 minutes but Javier Aguirre's team were pegged back in the second half. The home side piled on the pressure and won a penalty in the 94th minute which Jose Barkero calmly put away. Osasuna 3-1 Almeria Striker Alvaro Negredo gave Almeria a sixth-minute lead from the penalty spot but the visitors were thrown onto the back foot two minutes later when Brazilian defender Guilherme was sent off for a reckless challenge. Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani equalised with a looping header in the 13th minute, and Hernan Pellerano headed into his own net in the 71st before Hungarian Krisztian Vadocz wrapped up Osasuna's first league win this season at the end. Racing Santander 3-0 Espanyol Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni failed to collect a free-kick after 11 minutes allowing Ivan Marcano to slot home in a crowded area, and Oscar Serrano doubled Racing's lead when Espanyol's defence only half-cleared a Pedro Munitis cross. A quickly taken free kick led to Jonathan Pereira rounding Kameni for the third goal after the break. Real Mallorca 2-2 Malaga Mallorca's Ivan Ramis diverted a low cross into his own net after 13 minutes but Josemi levelled with a piledriver from outside the area soon after. Malaga's French striker Nabil Baha broke clear to restore the visitors' lead, nutmegging the keeper, but sloppy defending allowed Mallorca's Pierre Webo to poach the equaliser in the 67th minute. Sporting Gijon 1-2 Real Betis Betis keeper Casto Espinosa spilled David Barral's shot for Diego Castro to score after 25 minutes but the visitors stormed back after the break. Argentine defender Luciano Monzon cracked in a spectacular 30-metre free kick off the post in the 52nd and Cameroon's Achille Emana struck from the edge of the area soon after.

Real Madrid 1 - 0 Recreativo Huelva ----- Villareal 0 - 3 Valladolid

Wesley Sneijder earned champions Real Madrid a 1-0 home victory over Recreativo, easing the pressure on coach Bernd Schuster. LIVE NOW: Sevilla v Valencia!!


Sevilla host Valencia at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the late match of the evening. Click on the link under the photo to see the latest action!!

The win took Real second above Villarreal, whose 17-match unbeaten run in the league ended with a surprise 3-0 home defeat by Valladolid.

Real, with 26 points from 12 matches, are two behind Barcelona - who host Getafe on Sunday.

Villarreal are third on 25, two ahead of Valencia and Sevilla currently playing at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Schuster received the public backing of the club at the beginning of the week despite poor recent performances but the side continued to labour against second-bottom Recre.

Dutch midfielder Sneijder scored with a deflected long-range shot after 39 minutes and although the visitors offered little in attack the narrow advantage made for a tense second half.

The home crowd whistled their team off at the end and will have been concerned to see striker Gonzalo Higuain leave the pitch on a stretcher with an ankle problem in the second half, joining Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben and Fabio Cannavaro on the injury list.
Villarreal started their unbeaten run with a 2-0 home win over Valladolid in April but were always second best at the Madrigal. Jonathan Sesma scored twice and Pedro Leon made it 3-0 from a free kick just before the interval to earn Valladolid their first away points this season.

Real Valladolid 1 - 0 Real Madrid

The same Valladolid had been crushed 6-0 by Barcelona last weekend and before the game sections of the Spanish media were saying that this could be Schuster's last game if Real lost. That is just what happened as Uruguayan striker Nestor Cannobbio struck a 48th minute winner with an unstoppable left-footed drive. With two recent Champions League losses to Juventus and the midweek Spanish Cup embarrassment to minnows Real Union, Schuster had been under extreme pressure, and the Valladolid loss could be the final nail in his coffin. Real have now won just once in their last six matches in all competitions and the double league champions stay fourth, two points behind leaders Barcelona who have a game in hand. Schuster won the league title in his debut season but it is now up to the Real board to see if they want to extend his 16-month spell at the Santiago Bernabeu. "This was a match we did not think we would lose," Schuster said. "I am calm," he added. "We are working and doing what we have to do." Without the creative Dutch duo of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben both out injured Raul and Gonzalo Higuain started in attack with the latter hoping to build on his four goals against Malaga last weekend. Valladolid were whacked 6-0 by Barcelona last time out and must have feared a Real backlash but Jose Garcia Calvo almost put the hosts ahead with his 12th minute header cleared off the goal line by alert Brazilian defender Marcelo. Higuain then showed a great turn of pace to race clear only to be thwarted by the goalkeeper. At half-time it was scoreless with Schuster cutting a glum figure in the dug-out but the clean sheet was a bonus when you consider that Real had leaked six goals in their last two matches. But three minutes into the second half Valladolid took the lead with a poor pass from Guti gifting possession and Canobbio rifled in past the helpless Iker Casillas. Casillas last kept a clean sheet back on September 21 in a 2-0 win over Racing Santander underlining Real's defensive frailties. Higuain and Wesley Sneijder both went close but captain Raul squandered the best chance with three minutes left shooting at the legs of goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

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Valencia also missed the chance to go top, slumping to a 3-2 defeat at home to Sporting Gijon. Sporting, who lost their first four league games, continued their resurgence with a vibrant performance to delight a sizeable contingent of travelling fans. After a cagey opening, Luis Moran gave the visitors the lead on 20 minutes when he broke through the Valencia offside trap and finished low past Renan. Seven minutes into the second half, Sporting doubled their lead when David Barral cut inside from the right, bamboozled Emiliano Moretti with a flurry of stepovers and beat Renan low at his near post. Barral turned villain on 69 minutes when he conceded a penalty with a handball. David Villa made no mistake against his former club, finding the bottom-right corner. Diego Castro made the game safe 10 minutes from time thanks to some more indifferent Valencia defending. He eased Raul Albiol out of the way and prodded home past Renan. Juan Mata set up a frantic finish when he finished smartly from Ruben Baraja's diagonal through-ball, but Sporting held on.

Barcelona 6 - 0 Valladolid

Samuel Eto'o helped Barcelona stay top of the La Liga by scoring four first-half goals as the leaders crushed Valladolid 6-0 at the Nou Camp.

Barca's eighth straight league win gives them 25 points from 10 games, two ahead of champions Real Madrid in second.

Third-placed Villarreal, with 21 points, are at home to Almeria on Sunday when the rest of the Primera Liga fixtures are played.

Eto'o raced through to beat two defenders and open the scoring for Barca in the 12th minute before doubling their lead on the half-hour with a volley after a wonderful flowing move.

He picked up Lionel Messi's pass to round the keeper for the third in the 42nd and slotted home the fourth two minutes later after the Argentina forward's surging run was blocked and the ball broke free for the Cameroon forward.

Eidur Gudjohnsen netted a delicate chip in the 71st and a sublime passing move ended with Aleksandr Hleb squaring for France's Thierry Henry to stab home the sixth near the end.

Real madrid 4 - 3 Malaga

Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain scored all four goals as Real Madrid came back with 10 men to beat promoted Malaga 4-3 at the Bernabeu.

The injury-hit side were under pressure to appease the Bernabeu faithful who had whistled the team during Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at home to Juventus.

They got off to a bad start when Malaga's Portuguese midfielder Eliseu dribbled off the wing past two defenders. When his pull-back was fired against the post he put away the rebound.

The home team responded quickly with Higuain netting after Francesc Arnau could only parry Marcelo's shot but a low cross from Duda caught Real defender Gabriel Heinze flat-footed in the 18th minute leaving Malaga striker Nabil Baha free to score.

Higuain came to the rescue from the penalty spot after a handball on the edge of the area, but Real were reduced to 10 men when defender Sergio Ramos stepped on Eliseu's chest after a challenge.

Duda was fouled in the area and Apono drilled home a penalty to restore Malaga's advantage, but the lead only lasted a minute until Higuain beat Arnau from well outside the area.

The home crowd came to life and Higuain was bundled over for a penalty on the counter-attack in the 78th which the 20-year-old put away on the rebound, and both sides came close to adding another goal in the frantic closing stages.