Valencia's disappointing Primera Liga form in 2012 continued on Sunday, while Levante were beaten by Getafe.
Valencia held, Levante lose, Granada seal welcome win
Valencia's disappointing La Liga form in 2012 continued on Sunday, while Levante were beaten by Getafe.
Third-placed
Valencia conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at lowly
Racing Santander.
The hosts took a shock lead inside the opening two minutes through Adrian Gonzalez before the visitors hit back to go ahead with a second-half brace from substitute Aritz Aduriz.
Los Che could not hold onto their advantage, though, as Bernardo Espinosa drew the home side level in the 88th minute before both teams finished with 10 men as Racing veteran Pedro Munitis and Valencia defender Ricardo Costa were handed their marching orders in stoppage time.
The result means Valencia have now picked up only three points from a possible 12 since the start of the year and have fallen 16 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.
Goals from Dani Guiza and Diego Castro helped give in-form
Getafe their fourth win in six league games as they beat fourth-placed
Levante 2-1.
There was a slice of good fortune for Getafe with their opening goal just after the half-hour as Guiza saw his initial effort blocked by Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua only for the rebound to come back off the Spain striker and go into the empty net.
Improved
Levante improved after the break and hit the crossbar through Arouna Kone, but Getafe doubled their lead eight minutes from time when Castro tapped in after Munua had again denied Guiza.
That looked to have wrapped up the points for Getafe but the visitors had to endure a nervy finish after Alberto Lopo handled Vicente Iborra's shot on the line and, after the defender had been sent off, Ruben Suarez slotted home the penalty.
Levante could not find an equaliser, though as they slumped to their seventh loss of the season.
David Zurutuza scored twice in the opening three minutes as
Real Sociedad thumped
Sporting Gijon 5-1 to pile the pressure on visiting boss Manuel Preciado.
Zurutuza took advantage of great assists by Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela to get the home side off to a flying start, but Miguel De Las Cuevas brought Sporting back into the game with a neat finish just after half-time.
Oscar Trejo then hit the bar for the visitors before Sociedad secured all three points as Gorka Elustondo was left unmarked to guide home Vela's corner.
Mikel Aranburu tapped home the fourth before Griezmann got the goal his performance deserved with a calm finish in the final minute of stoppage time.
Great start
New coach Abel Resino enjoyed a great start to life on the
Granada bench as his side defeated Andalusian rivals
Real Betis 2-1 to climb out of the bottom three.
Resino replaced the sacked Fabri Gonzalez earlier this week and he could not have asked for much more from his new charges after seeing them build a deserved 2-0 half-time lead through goals from Odion Ighalo and Carlos Martins.
Betis pulled a goal back with nine minutes remaining through substitute Jonathan Pereira to set up a tense finale, but Granada held on for only their sixth win of the season.
The victory lifts Granada out of the bottom three and to within a point of 12th-placed Betis, who had been in decent form coming into the match.
In the late kick-off, a blistering start earned
Malaga a 2-1 victory over
Sevilla in a lively Andalusian derby at the Estadio La Rosaleda.
Weligton headed Malaga in front and Seba Fernandez restored their lead after Antonio Luna's equaliser - all inside the first 20 minutes.
The match was bad-tempered and low on quality, but nevertheless entertaining, and Sevilla's Coke Andujar had an equaliser disallowed after Malaga's Alarcon Isco had been sent off.
