Madrid loss gives Barça first blood

FC Barcelona have the early advantage in the Liga title race after Real Madrid CF became the first of the pacesetters to drop points this season courtesy of a 2-1 defeat by third-placed Sevilla FC.

Renato winner
Barça beat UD Almería 1-0 on Saturday to record their sixth successive league victory and open up a three-point gap over their rivals from the capital. Josep Guardiola's champions will now take that cushion into the international break after Sevilla's triumph, which came thanks to headers from Jesús Navas (33) and Renato (66), Pepe initially drawing the visitors level three minutes after half-time.

Missed opportunity
Valencia are fifth, four points behind Madrid following a 1-0 victory at Real Racing Club Santander, Nikola Žigić pouncing on a stray back-pass to score the decisive goal. RCD Mallorca could have deposed RC Deportivo La Coruña of fourth spot but were instead emphatically condemned to their second defeat of the season and drop to sixth. José Martí had given the Islanders the advantage with a 12th-minute penalty but Real Sporting de Gijón found the net four times in the closing 31 minutes, Miguel de las Cuevas scoring twice, to go ninth.

Muniain equaliser
Athletic Club Bilbao are seventh following their 2-2 draw at Real Valladolid CF. Joaquín Caparrós's side surrendered a tenth-minute lead given to them by Markel Susaeta and needed Iker Muniain's intervention 13 minutes from time to salvage a point.

Without a win
The bottom two of Xerez CD and Villarreal CF are both still yet to win in the league this term. Xerez stay rooted to the foot of the table with two points after drawing 1-1 against Málaga CF, while the Yellow Submarine are one point better off following their 0-0 stalemate with RCD Espanyol. Getafe CF are eighth thanks to a 2-1 triumph over CA Osasuna, Pedro León scoring the winner with 14 minutes remaining.