Reigning champions Real Madrid lost ground on league leaders Barcelona after dropping two points in a 1-1 draw with Almeria on Sunday.
Argentine Pablo Piatti equalized with nine minutes left to deny Real victory after captain Raul Gonzalez had put them ahead shortly before half-time with his fifth goal of the season.
Real now sit third two points behind Barcelona.
PHOTO: AFP
“The draw is okay but we feel that we have dropped two points,” Real coach Bernd Schuster said. “We have the quality to finish off games and had some counter attacks that we didn’t take full advantage of. I was happy with the attitude of the team but we failed to get the second goal and that proved decisive.”
Valencia are level on 20 points with Real while Villarreal are a point ahead in second after a 4-1 rout of Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Real were without forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, struggling with a knee injury, and Spanish international Ruben de la Red, 23, who was still in shock after collapsing and fainting on the pitch during Real’s midweek cup game.
Sergio Ramos was back in the starting line-up after making up with Schuster who dropped him last weekend for critical comments he made in a newspaper interview.
Raul produced a great header on 38 minutes from a Gonzalo Higuain cross to put the visitors ahead but Piatti leveled after defensive mistakes from Christoph Metzelder and Ramos.
Earlier Sevilla were left to rue the sending-off of Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano as the 10-man visitors surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Valladolid as they crashed to a second successive league defeat.
Sevilla looked to be cruising holding a 2-0 lead after 24 minutes following goals from Renato and Jesus Navas but Fabiano, returning after an injury lay-off, was dismissed for two bookable offenses just after the hour mark.
It proved the turning point in the match as Valladolid used the extra man to pull level and Uruguayan Nestor Cannobio scored his second goal of the game on 63 minutes to seal a comeback win.
Sevilla are five points behind league leaders Barca in fifth.
Numancia and Sporting Gijon faced off on Sunday and the latter came out on top with a 3-1 victory that lifts them to 10th spot.
Osasuna continue to prop up the 20-strong table after a 1-0 defeat by Espanyol on Sunday.
A goal from Raul Tamudo after an hour condemned Osasuna to another loss and they are still to win in the league this season.
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