Roberto Carlos scored in injury time to give Real Madrid a 3-2 win against Recreativo Huelva on Sunday to keep Real atop the Spanish league with three rounds remaining.
Madrid led 2-0 but allowed a pair of goals in the final 16 minutes to jeopardize its four-match winning streak. Roberto Carlos raced down the left, controlled Gago's cross and scored under sliding goalkeeper Bertrand Laquait.
"Roberto Carlos sprinted forward 80m to back up his team for that goal," Madrid coach Fabio Capello said.
PHOTO: AP
The victory gave Madrid 69 points, the same as FC Barcelona who is second on head-to-head results. Sevilla is third with 67 and Valencia fourth on 65 points.
Barcelona kept pace by trouncing Atletico Madrid 6-0 in the pouring rain at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Sevilla kept up with the front-runners with a 2-1 victory earlier over Deportivo La Coruna.
PHOTO: AP
Also on Sunday, it was: Getafe 5, Espanyol 1; Levante 1, Osasuna 4; Real Sociedad 3, Celta Vigo 1; and Villarreal 2, Racing Santander 1.
Robinho put Madrid ahead in the ninth minute with a header off a perfect cross. Laquait tripped Robinho in the box and Van Nistelrooy converted the penalty in the 54th minute to double the lead.
But Madrid defender Sergio Ramos brought down Ikechuckwu Uche to create Jesus Vasquez's penalty in the 74th, and Uche equalized 13 minutes later by knocking in a loose ball.
In Madrid, Lionel Messi scored a goal in each half Barcelona remained unbeaten in four matches. Ronaldinho hit the right post with a free kick in the 33rd minute but Messi gave Barca the lead six minutes after taking a cross from Samuel Eto'o, who appeared to be offside.
Barcelona added two more before halftime when Gianluca Zambrotta lobbed goalkeeper Ivan "Pichu" Cuellar in the 43rd and Eto'o tapped in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's cross in the 45th.
Eto'o set up Ronaldinho for a goal in the 58th minute, Messi lobbed Cuellar in the 80th minute. Andres Iniesta finished the scoring in the 90th minute against Atletico.
"We did our work well in the first half and then we gathered rhythm in the second. We hope to maintain this rhythm for what's left of the season," Ronaldinho said.
Sevilla, which faces Getafe for the Spanish Cup crown on June 23, celebrated its UEFA Cup title against Espanyol with its fourth league victory in five games.
Striker Rodolfo Bodipo gave Deportivo the lead with a volley in the 73rd minute.
But Renato was able to equalize three minutes later and Frederic Kanoute won the match with a well-timed right-footed shot in the 84th minute.
At Barcelona, Manu Del Moral scored twice and Getafe rallied to beat Espanyol, recovering from last week's 4-1 beating at home by Atletico Madrid.
Fernan Corominas handed Espanyol the side's first shot in the fourth minute.
But Javi Casquero equalized four minutes later and Del Moral scored three minutes before halftime to put Getafe ahead. Defender Ruben Pulido scored in the 55th and Daniel Guiza added one in the 65th. Del Moral completed the scoring in the 71st.
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