Former on-loan Arsenal forward Julio Baptista scored the only goal of the game in the 36th minute, finishing off a beautiful one-touch move with ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy with a well-taken half-volley into the top right corner.

Bernd Schuster's side were worth winners and now have 41 points from their 17 games, compared to Barca's 34.

A further point back are Espanyol after they came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Atletico Madrid, who had two men dismissed for the second successive league match at the Vicente Calderon.

That enabled Espanyol to leapfrog Villarreal, who could only draw 1-1 with Recreativo Huelva.

Deportivo La Coruna won the bottom-of-the-table clash at Levante 1-0 thanks to an 85th-minute penalty from Sergio Gonzalez.

Daniel Guiza collected his eighth goal of the season but Real Mallorca's recent poor form continued after they were beaten 3-1 by Osasuna at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra.

mfl

In today's late match, Athletic Bilbao and Murcia both remain just above the relegation zone on 19 points after a battling 1-1 draw at San Mames.

Midfielder Lertxundi Koikili had put Athletic ahead on the stroke of half-time having reacted first to Antonio Notario's save from Pablo Orbaiz's penalty.

But Murcia equalised from the spot when Fernando Baiano calmly slotted home.

Athletic finished the game with 10 men after Aitor Ocio was sent off.