Madrid - A late 1-1 draw away to Recreativo Huelva on Sunday
leaves Valencia on top of the Spanish Liga - but now only one point
behind twin giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Unbeaten Valencia have 20 points from eight games, Barca and Real
have 19.
On Saturday Barca thrashed hapless Almeria 5-0, Real edged lowly
Athletic Bilbao 3-2 in Sunday's late game - with two goals from the
in-form Gonzalo Higuain.
Valencia needed a late goal from Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa
to keep their unbeaten record intact.
Javier Camunas gave Huelva the lead in the 49th minute with a
powerful shot which went in off the near post, after good work down
the left by Javi Guerrero.
Valencia enjoyed 72 per cent possession and levelled in the 63rd
minute, when Joaquin Sanchez centred from the right and Huelva keeper
Asier Riesgo could only parry the header of Juan Mata, allowing Villa
to turn in the rebound.
'A draw was not really a bad result for us,' said Villa.
'They are a good team, and caused us a lot of problems.'
Later on Sunday Real defeated gallant Bilbao in an attractive
game.
Wesley Sneijder and Higuain gave Real a 2-0 lead within half an
hour. But the whites then relaxed and Bilbao took advantage to make
it 2-2 before half-time.
First, veteran Joseba Etxeberria scored with a low drive, then the
visitors were given a dubious penalty for a push by Gabriel Heinze on
Fernando Llorente. Andoni Iraola made no mistake from the spot.
Real dominated the second half and won with a handsome goal from
Higuain in the 59th, after being put through by fellow Argentine
Fernando Gago.
The hosts had chances to increase their lead, Bilbao's Llorente
hit the Real post. By then the visitors were down to ten, due to
Fernando Amorebieta having picked up a direct red card.
'It was good to score twice,' said Higuain. 'But what is important
is that we are now a bit closer to Valencia and Barcelona.'
Earlier on Sunday Villarreal and Atletico Madrid played out the
most dramatic game of the season so far: a heart-stopping 4-4 draw.
Simao Sabrosa and Diego Forlan gave Atletico an early 2-0 lead.
Villarreal then turned the tables on them with second-half goals from
Marcos Senna, Joseba Llorente, Gonzalo Rodriguez and Guiseppe Rossi.
But Atletico refused to give up and - despite the sending-off of
Ever Banega - snatched a defiant draw with late goals from Simao and
Raul Garcia.
Villarreal are now fourth with 18 points, one less than Barca and
Real.
In fifth place, on 17, are Sevilla, who surprisingly crashed 0-1
at home to lively Malaga.
The only goal was scored in the 16th minute by Adrian Lopez, who
beat Andres Palop with a low shot after being set up by Nacho Perez.
Luis Fabiano twice came close to levelling for Sevilla, who were
crippled by the sending-off of Adriano.
Their win in Seville takes Malaga up to sixth, with 13 points.
Then come Getafe - 1-0 winners over Valladolid - with 12.
Mallorca and Almeria are joint eighth with 11 points. Mallorca
thrashed Espanyol 3-0, with two second-half goals from Aritz Aduriz
and one from Fernando Varela.
Atletico Madrid are 10th with ten points.
The heavy defeat in Palma leaves Espanyol 11th, level on nine
points with Deportivo Coruna and Sporting Gijon.
Gijon, who made a disastrous start, turned in the performance of
the weekend to win 3-0 away to Deportivo, with goals from David
Barral, Carmelo Gonzalez and Diego Castro.
Betis are seventh from bottom after Saturday's 2-0 win away to
bottom side Osasuna. Then come Valladolid and Numancia, 2-1 winners
over Racing Santander, on seven points.
Santander and Huelva both have six points, Bilbao have five,
Osasuna just four.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story