Barcelona and Bilbao slump to defeats

Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, traditional giants of Spanish football and ever present in the first division, slipped out of the top six after poor performances.

Barca could not overcome visiting Valladolid and fought out a grim 0-0 draw which meant they slid to eighth.

It will be little consolation that Barcelona had the best chance of the match when Dutch international Giovanni van Bronckhorst hit the post midway through the second half.

Athletic's run of five successive home victories came to an end with Racing Santander beating the Basques 2-1 in the San Mames stadium.

Jonan Garcia got Athletic off to a perfect start, the 20 year-old midfielder tapping home a Ismael Urzaiz cross after seven minutes for his first goal in the top flight.

Racing were unlucky not to equalise five minutes before the break when Diego Mateo had his goal disallowed for a questionable offside but the visitors were back on level terms just a minute later.

Rodolfo Bodipo waltzed around Athletic defender Luis Prieto before blasting the ball home for his sixth goal of the season.

Mario Reguerio then got Racing's winner just after the hour after Athletic goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia could only parry away a Bodipo shot and the Uruguayan midfielder made the most of the ball falling to his feet.

Racing, one of this season's most improved sides, move up to sixth with Athletic dropping three places to seventh.

Bottom club Espanyol saw their woes increase when they went down 2-1 at fellow strugglers Albacete.

Spanish international striker Raul Tamudo put Espanyol ahead after 15 minutes but two goals from Carlos Aranda, the first from the penalty spot just before half time after Toni Soldevilla had hacked Aranada down in the box, clinched the vital points for Albacete.

Celta eased their own relegation worries with an impressive 1-0 win at Sevilla, showing some of the form that helped them finish fourth last season.

Jesuli Mora got the only goal of the game after 34 minutes, running through a sleeping Sevilla defence.

However, it was a bittersweet moment for Jesuli, who was born in Seville and spent the first five years of his professional career at his home town club, and he respectfully did not celebrate the goal.

The ever-erratic Sevilla left the pitch with to the sound of their own supporters jeering them and cheering the opposition.

Real Madrid opened the door to Deportivo La Coruna to regain the Spanish league lead when they could only draw 1-1 at Osasuna on Saturday.

Deportivo play host to Villarreal late on Sunday.

Ronaldo, the Spanish first division's leading scorer, took his tally to 10 for the season after 73 minutes when he equalised after an early strike by Osasuna's Ivory Coast striker Ibrahima Bakayoko.

Spanish league table ahead of Sunday's late matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):