LA LIGA: Barcelona 1 - 0 Sporting Gijon (Highlights)

Barcelona 1 - 0 Sporting Gijon
(1-0) 49' Villa

Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Valencia

(1-0) 19' Simao, (1-1) 83' Aduriz

Real Zaragoza 0 - 0 Hercules

Almeria 0 - 1 Levante

(0-1) 39' Sergio

Sevilla 1 - 1 Racing Santander
(1-0) 13' Negredo (p), (1-1) 54' Pinillos

Villarreal 1 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña
(1-0) 33' Nilmar

Getafe 0 - 2 Malaga
(0-1) 54' Rondon, (0-2) 62' Apoño (p)

Real Madrid bounce back to see off Almeria (Highlights)

Almeria 1 - 2 Real Madrid
(1-0) 14' Crusat (1-1) 27' Cristiano Ronaldo (1-2) 69' Van der Vaart

It was by no means easy, but Real Madrid will be pleased with a job well done against a feisty Almeria as they left the Estadio Mediterraneo with three vital points that keeps the pressure on Barca. Juanma Lillo set up his side to frustrate Madrid and use the pace and trickery of Crusat and Piatti to hurt the visitors on the flanks, and it was all going to plan when Crusat put his side one up after 14 minutes following Kala Uches run and cross from the byline. At that point, Real Madrid were against the ropes and their season was threatening to implode, when that man Cristiano Ronaldo scored a beauty out of the blue to put his side back in the contest.

The celebration, a 'hand-to-ear' gesture, wasn't well received by his superiors who reprimanded the Portuguese star for his actions after the match. The winger from Madeira has clearly failed to learn his lesson after last weekends humbling from Barcelona. From then on it was a battle between Pellegrinis men and Almerias brilliant Brazilian Diego Alves, who must have produced at least five world class saves during the 90 minutes. Just as it looked like the keeper would wreck any lingering hopes Madrid have of clawing back Barca, Rafael Van der Vaart popped up to whip in a viscious strike and secure the win. Six matches left and they need Barca to falter in two. Not impossible. Just unlikely.

Valencia 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao

(1-0) 34' Silva, (2-0) 62' Silva

Valencia all but confirmed their place in next seasons Champions League with a comfortable victory against Athletic Bilbao. Joaquin Caparros' men were never at the races and struggled to conjure up more than a few half chances that were all repelled by Cesar who is enjoying a fine twilight to his long career. They had been looking to secure their own European spot, but defeat leaves them only a point ahead of Getafe as they fight it out for the last Europa League position. For Valencia, David Silva was in fine form and notched both goals in either half. His first was a relatively simple chance from only a metre out, but the second was pure Silva magic. Collecting Joaquins pass inside the area, he controlled and turned inside his defender in one movement, before shifting the ball onto his wand of a left foot and curling it out of Iraizozs reach and into the far corner. His partner in crime, David Villa, had one of his quieter nights and Spain fans will be hoping he recaptures his killer instinct soon as South Africa approaches.

On a further note, it will come as little surprise who has emerged as Real Madrids new summer target. I'll give you all a clue....Valencia are in town this weekend. Only a matter of months after Jesus Navas was target numero uno, coincidentally just before they were set to play Sevilla, David Silva has now replaced him at the top of Florentinos infamous wishlist. Subtlety has never been their finest quality. Next week it will be Jermaine Pennant!

La Liga Saturday: Real Madrid stage stunning fightback to go top

Real Madrid 3 - 2 Sevilla

(0-1) 9' Xabi Alonso (o.g), (0-2) 52' Dragutinovic, (1-2) 59' Cristiano Ronaldo, (2-2) 61' Ramos, (3-2) 92' Van der Vaart

An absolutely breathtaking match at the Bernabeu. It had looked like such an anti-climax for Real Madrid as they looked to capitalise on Barcelonas slip in Almeria, when Xabi Alonso smashed the ball into his own net, under pressure from Negredo. The first half was a familiar story for Madrid, as they enjoyed plenty of possession, but with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka both kept quiet, they lacked potency upfront. Just after halftime, Dragutinovic floated in a free-kick from near the half-way line, and with Iker Casillas late to react, the ball curled agonisingly inside the post, to hand Sevilla a two goal lead. Manuel Pelligrini then sent on Guti and Van der Vaart and the two subs revolutionised the match. Guti was in one of his sublime moods, as he pulled out some stunning passes, and Madrid looked a totally different side with the veteran pulling the strings in the middle. There was a touch of fortune about Reals first as Ronaldo swept home a deflected cross, with their second courtesy of a Sergio Ramos header from a corner. It was then one way traffic, with Higuain hitting the woodwork on countless occasions, before Rafael Van der Vaart sent the Bernabeu delirious with a last gasp winner. Real return to the summit after months chasing Barca. A pivotal weekend in La Liga 2009/2010?

Almeria 2 - 2 Barcelona
(1-0) 12' Cisma, (1-1) 42' Messi, (2-1) 57' Puyol (o.g), (2-2) 66' Messi

An out of sorts Barcelona were saved by a sparkling display from Lionel Messi, as they fought back twice to save a vital point from their trip to Almeria. Neither side was helped by a substandard performance from referee Clos Gomez, who sent off both Pep Guardiola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and signalled a non-existant foul which lead to Messi drawing Barca level after Cisma had put Almeria ahead. Carlos Puyol also had an off-night, which culminated in converting a cross into his own net, but once Barca were down to ten, they stepped it up a level. Leo Messi got them level once more, with only a string of impressive saves from Diego Alves stopping Barca from going on to win the match. Still, it was two points dropped by Barcelona, who see themselves drop down to second after Real Madrids stunning fightback against Sevilla.

Deportivo La Coruña 3 - 1 Tenerife

(0-1) 17' Juanlu, (1-1) 32' Juan Rodriguez, (2-1) 55' Guardado, (3-1) 66' Colotto

La Liga Saturday Highlights: Barcelona streak 8 points clear

Real Valladolid 0 - 3 Barcelona

(0-1) 20' Xavi, (0-2) 22' Dani Alves, (0-3) 54' Messi

Barcelona reached the halfway point of the season unbeaten with yet another sublime performance which saw them reach 23 goals away from home. A breathtaking break saw Xavi put them infront before a cross-come-shot from Alves put them further ahead two minutes later. Leo Messi had never scored against Real Valladolid before today, so he decided to put that right when he smashed in following some good work from Ibrahimovic in the area. 15 league goals puts the Rosario-born genius in pole position for the Pichichi. Real Valladolid certainly made Victor Valdes work hard, with the keeper doing his best to keep his name in Del Bosques mind as the World Cup creeps ever closer. You have to wonder what Valdes has got to do to get a look-in. 8 points now separate Barca from Real Madrid, who will be under pressure to get what looks on paper like a guaranteed three points against Málaga in the Bernabeu.

READ ON FOR REPORTS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF TONIGHTS MATCHES

Sevilla 1 - 0 Almería
(1-0) 9' Negredo

It was far from convincing from Sevilla, but following a rout at Depor, they've now put an end to a run of four league defeats on the bounce, by getting back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Almería in the Sanchez Pizjuan. Alvaro Negredo got the early goal after a backpass from Acasiete got bogged down in a puddle which allowed Renato to reach the ball before the keeper, who squared it to Negredo who was left with a simple tap-in. Sevilla showed that they still havnt found their feet after what has been a dreadful start to 2010 in the league, and there were jeers from the crowd as only Navas and Perotti showed any sort of ambition after the goal. Struggling Almería outplayed their hosts, with Corona and Crusat tormenting the Sevilla full-backs (Stankevicius is looking like a dreadful buy), but it wasn't enough to stop manager Juanma Lillo falling to his first defeat. Manolo Jimenez will be feeling the heat, even with this win, as he consistently fails to get his team playing with the same verve and swagger of one or two years ago.

Deportivo La Coruña 3 - 1 Athletic Bilbao

(1-0) 49' Filipe, (2-0) 59' Juca, (2-1) 79' Colotto (o.g), (3-1) 89' Pablo Álvarez

A match marked by a horrifying ankle injury to talented full-back Luis Filipe as he clashed with Bilbao keeper Gorka Iraizoz when putting Depor infront. It seemed innocuous enough, and many thought the goal had been disallowed for offside as the Deportivo players put their hands on their heads. Yet it quickly became clear that Filipe was in a bad way and the Brazilian was quickly rushed to hospital. The home team put the shock behind them quickly as they made it 2-0 with a fortunate deflection. Colotto made a horrendous error to give Athletic hope, but a delightful Valeron assist allowed Pablo Álvarez to make the points safe in the fight for the fourth Champions League spot. Bilbao dominated the first half, with two goals disallowed, but their intensity disappeared after the break as Coruña took the chances that came their way to shoot up to fourth in La Liga.

Saturday Liga Results: Sergio Canales sinks Sevilla; Atlético fight back

Sevilla 1 - 2 Racing Santander
(0-1) 25' Canales, (0-2) 37' Canales, (1-2) 61' Romaric

Sevilla sunk to another deflating home defeat as they were ripped apart by a first-half Sergio Canales masterclass. The teen sensation scored two stunning goals, leaving clear signs that he is destined for stardom, as Miguel Angel Portugals Racing team stung Sevilla with some scintillating counter-attacking football. The first goal was a delightful chip over Palop, with the second exquisitely executed as he rounded Palop and waited before slotting past a desparate lunge from Adriano on the line. True cold-blooded finishing from a Racing youth product half owned by Deportivo La Coruña. For Sevilla manager Manolo Jimenez he will be hoping his team can fight through January, dropping as few points as possible as Kanoute, Kone and Zokora compete in the African Cup of Nations and Luis Fabiano recovers from injury. They also need to rectify a home record of four wins in nine if they are to arrest a slide which has already put pay to their La Liga hopes and has seen them slide out of the Champions League positions.

READ ON FOR REPORTS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL TODAYS LA LIGA MATCHES

Real Valladolid 0 - 4 Atlético Madrid

(0-1) 16' Jurado, (0-2) 31' Forlan, (0-3) 58' Reyes, (0-4) 90' Agüero

A truely ruthless display from Atlético Madrid that erased memories of a catastrophic midweek display in the cup and which saw their recent league revival continued. Jose Antonio Reyes was at the heart of all that was good about Atlético as he set up Jurados first and arrowed in the third from well outside the box. Alvaro Dominguez was impeccable at the back as his team finally set up a firm defensive foundation from which their starstudded attacking lineup could flourish. Quite why Valladolid defended so high up the pitch was a mystery to most as some well-timed runs and electric pace from Forlán, Reyes and Agüero destroyed Mendilibars men. Quique with his teams reaction to the midweek cup defeat, and with his team now only 8 points of the UEFA spots the comeback is well and truely on. Next up, Sporting Gijon in the Vicente Calderon.

Villarreal 1 - 1 Almería

(1-0) 40' Nilmar, (1-1) 67' Corona (p)

Almería have found a second wind since Hugo Sanchez was given the boot, and after beating Xerez last week they held a rejuvenated Villarreal to a draw in Juanma Lillos second match in charge. Nilmar headed in Villarreals goal after some sterling work out wide by Santi Cazorla, whilst Almerías equaliser came from the penalty spot after Goitom was felled by Marcano, who was later sent off for a disgraceful challenge on Ortiz. Ernesto Valverde will certainly see this result as two points dropped as they continue to repair the early-season damage. He definitely didnt help by starting Ibergaza, Cani and Llorente all on the bench.

La Liga Results - Matchday 16: Real Madrid stay second

Osasuna 0 - 0 Real Madrid

This was Real Madrids chance to put a marker down for 2010 and take advantage of Barcelonas 'shock' draw against Villarreal. The press had placed much emphasis on Madrids chance to go top, as if it could be a pivotal moment in the season. As it was, they found a stubborn Osasuna outfit who had as many chances to win the match as their illustrious visitors. The Reyno Navarro has been a happy hunting ground for the Bernabeu side in recent years, and was the scene of Real Madrids league triumph three years ago, but with Higuaín and Cristiano Ronaldo not enjoying their finest hour and the Osasuna defence utterly resolute, a 0-0 draw was probably a fair result. So it's as you were at the top of La Liga, with two points separating the leaders from Real. Will Madrid live to regret their failure to put Barca under a bit of early pressure?

READ ON FOR MATCH REVIEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF ALL SUNDAYS LA LIGA MATCHES

Zaragoza 0 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña

Neither team will be happy with a point which leaves Real Zaragoza in the relegation zone and Deportivo La Coruña unable to take advantage of Sevillas slip yesterday night. Both teams created numerous goalscoring opportunities, but neither managed to turn any of them into goals as both attacks left much to be desired infront of goal. Jermaine Pennant was given a vote of confidence from new manager Jose Aurelio Gay as he started and finished the match and Lafita impressed against his former club with both players missing gilt-edged chances, whilst defender Lopo got as close as anyone to opening the scoring for Depor.

Almería 1 - 0 Xerez

(1-0) 89' Ortiz

Nothing changes for La Ligas bottom club as they lost away and failed to score yet again. Xerez were unlucky not to snatch a point away at a nervy Almería side who saw their new manager Juanma Lillo take charge of his first match. And Xerez could even have gone infront with ten minutes remaining when Momo was felled in the area, but nine minutes later supersub Jose Ortiz latched onto a clearance to drive in from outside of the box and give Almería a much needed win and three valuable points. At this rate Xerez are on a one-way road to the second division.

Sporting Gijón 2 - 2 Málaga

(0-1) 9' Duda, (1-1) 47' Gregory, (1-2) 60' Weligton, (2-2) 69' Canella

In the highest scoring match so far in this weekends La Liga programme, Sporting and Málaga shared the spoils as both goalkeepers provided a couple of festive bloopers with Munúas gaff for Sportings second, a true shocker. Portuguese striker Duda had a cracking match, with a well-taken goal and an assist for Weligtons opportunist strike. Sporting scored twice but their lack of firepower was evident as David Barral continues to disappoint as he fills in for the injured Bilic. Málaga remain in the bottom three whereas Sporting will be happy to float around mid-table as they await the return of their Croatian hitman.

Mallorca 2 - 0 Athletic Bilbao

(1-0) 49' Julio Álvarez, (2-0)  67' Aduriz

Mallorcas season just gets better and better as this win puts them in the Champions League positions. Todays victims in Fortress Ono Estadi were the unfortunate souls of Athletic Bilbao, who were desparately unlucky as two deflections contributed to both of Mallorcas goals. As ever, the home defence was as solid as a rock, and Borja Valero controlled proceedings from the centre of the park, and provided the defence splitting pass which led to Aduriz chipping over Iraizoz. Even the introduction of Iker Muniain and De Marcos failed to spark Bilbao into action. Everyone is waiting for Gregorio Manzanos men to trip up, but their golden run continues.

Racing Santander 2 - 0 Tenerife

(1-0) 71' Colsa, (2-0) 74' Xisco

The first half of this match was possibly the most boring ever in La Liga history, but things livened up in the second half for the Sardinero crowd as Racing Santander took a massive step towards survival with a win against a direct rival for relegation, Tenerife. A lot of credit must go to manager Miguel Angel Portugal as he spiced things up with three second-half substitutes, with one of them, Xisco, killing the game as a contest with the second strike. Tenerife lost the match in a matter of three minutes, and add another away defeat to a run of results that will surely see them ending up relegated unless they invest in a proven goalscorer.

Getafe 1 - 0 Real Valladolid

(1-0) 83' Casquero

In much the same manner as Mallorca, Getafe maintain their unexpected push for the European positions with a late victory against Real Valladolid. Míchels reputation is on the rise (I'd place a little wager on him being the next Real Madrid manager) as his midfield Maestro Casquero side-footed in a spectacular goal with minutes remaining. Valladolid can feel sorry for themselves as they didnt deserve to lose, but without Manucho and Diego Costa they were always going to find it difficult to find a way past Codina who is fast adding himself to the long list of outstanding Spanish goalkeepers. Perhaps another one Real Madrid let go of too easily.