A new year but the same old story for Real Madrid who drew 0-0 at Villarreal.
A new year but the same old story for Real Madrid who failed to spark into life in a goalless draw against Villarreal at El Madrigal.
The point keeps Real in sixth and the hosts in fifth, although it is Manuel Pellegrini's side who came closest to snatching all three points.
Diego Forlan, normally so assured on Spanish soil, passed up two presentable openings, while striker Julio Baptista came closest for the under-achieving visitors.
Osasuna failed to keep pace with Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday after being held to a 1-1 draw by Racing Santander at Estadio El Sadar.
Things looked promising for the league's surprise package when Ludovic Delporte shot the hosts into a 29th minute lead against the mid-table Santander.
However the visitors' striker Antonito levelled the match on the stroke of half time and the Pamplona outfit could not fashion a winner to respond to Barca's 2-1 defeat of Espanyol 24 hours previously.
At the other end of the table, Cadiz moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over a Getafe side who continue their slide down down the league.
A Nenad Mirosavljevic penalty five minutes after the half hour was enough for the home side to claim all, only their fourth win in 18 games.
The game finished ten-a-side after Fabian Estoyanoff, for the hosts, and David Belenguer, for the visitors, were dismissed for a 79th minute altercation.
Alaves, however, remain rooted to the foot after a 2-0 home defeat to Real Zaragoza.
After a goalless first half striker Diego Milito put the visitors in front just 60 seconds after the restart and Ewerthon made the final five minutes a formality with his side's second.
Real Betis also remain in the bottom three after the Sevillians' first action of 2006.
A 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers Real Mallorca was secured after Robert de Pinho de Souza equalised ten minutes after the hosts had been given a 28th minute lead through Jonas Gutierrez.
Midfielder Enzo Maresca scored to send Sevilla to a comfortable 3-1 win over ten-man Malaga.
It could all have been so different for the visitors who saw Hidalgo Antonio dismissed for violent conduct with the game goalless.
Former West Bromwich Albion player Maresca capitalised on his side's advantage and gave his side the lead three minutes after the half hour, although Salva pegged the hosts back with a strike four minutes after the interval.
Sevilla's ascendancy was secured when Claro Adriano Correira scored a quarter of an hour later and Ivica Dragutinovic put the seal on the win two minutes later.
Celta Vigo's fine season continued with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad. Nestor Cannobio was the home side's matchwinner with a strike midway through the first half.
The late kick off saw Atletico Madrid hold high-flying Valencia to a goalless draw at Vicente Calderon.
Click below for individual match summaries:
Alaves 0-2 Real Zaragoza
Cadiz 1-0 Getafe
Celta Vigo 1-0 Real Sociedad
Osasuna 1-1 Santander
Mallorca 1-1 Real Betis
Sevilla 3-1 Malaga
Villarreal 0-0 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid 0-0 Valencia
