Racing dent Deportivo title hopes
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Deportivo missed a good chance to make up ground on new league leaders Valencia and second-placed Real Madrid when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Racing Santander on Sunday.
Depor, the only team apart from the top two in with a realistic chance of taking the title, went ahead just before half-time with a cracking Albert Tuque free kick.
Javier Lucretia's side had plenty of chances to add to their lead but a fine finish from Javi Guerrero provided Racing with a spectacular equalizer in the 77th minute.
A draw left Deportivo in third place on 37 points at the halfway stage in the season, six points behind Valencia and five behind Real Madrid.
Valencia dislodged Real at the top of the table, and took the honorary title of winter champions into the bargain, when they beat Albacete 1-0 on Saturday and Real went down 1-0 at Real Sociedad.
Atletico Madrid moved up to fourth place when three goals in the last 18 minutes gave them a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Both sides squandered a myriad of chances before Fernando Torres headed home an Ariel Ibagaza corner after 73 minutes.
Torres added Atletico's second from the penalty spot seven minutes before the whistle for his 11th goal of the season.
The teenager, who does not turn 20 until March, then left the field to huge applause, and his replacement, Veljko Paunovic, completed the late scoring spree with a header in injury time.
Villarreal climbed up to fifth, thanks to a 3-1 win at home to Valladolid.
Deportivo, the 2000 league champions, were under pressure for much of the first half against ambitious Racing, who hit the frame of the goal twice before the home side had really settled.
Ayoze had the first chance, surprising Jose Molina with a cross-shot that struck the far post after 20 minutes.
Ten minutes later, Guerrero hit the bar with a neat chip and Pablo Casar caused the Depor defense more nervous moments with his header around the half-hour mark.
Depor responded by taking the lead with Luque's eye-catching free-kick just before the break and they dominated in the second half.
Chances came and went, however, and Racing clinched a point when Guerrero took a long pass from Anderson Silva and beat Molina with a first-time lob.
Savior Garcia
Osasuna's Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Garcia's 83rd-minute free kick saved his team from a home defeat after Brazilian midfielder Julio Baptista gave Sevilla the lead with a volley in the 48th minute.
Brazilian forward Ronaldinho netted his fifth goal of the season as Barcelona beat Zaragoza 3-0.
Argentine striker Javier Saviola and midfielder Xavi Hernandez also scored in a victory which was only the Catalan club's second in eight league matches.
Real Betis gained only their second win in 11 games by beating Malaga 3-0 and earned a reprieve for its coach Victor Fernandez, who reportedly faced dismissal if his team had lost.
Former Spanish international striker Alfonso Perez netted his first goal of the season in the eighth minute, with Betis' other goals coming from midfielder Joaquin Sanchez and an own-goal by Uruguayan Marcelo Romero after the interval.
Espanyol vacated last place with a 1-0 win over Murcia, who dropped to the foot of the table after going without a win in 13 matches.
Argentine midfielder Maxi Rodriguez netted Espanyol's goal with an 11th-minute volley to jeopardize veteran Joaquin Peiro's position as Murcia coach.
Murcia's Argentine midfielder Jose Luis Acciari was sent off in the 25th minute.
Villarreal continued their recent improvement by beating Valladolid 3-1.
Spanish international striker Jose Mari Romero scored for Villarreal with a header in the 39th minute, with Congolese striker Ariza Makukula equalizing with his eighth goal of the season in the 65th.
After Valladolid's Brazilian defender Julio Cesar was dismissed in the 67th minute, striker Victor Fernandez and substitute Roger Garcia grabbed late goals to win the game.
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