Real Madrid lost ground in the Primera Liga title race when they could only draw 1-1 at home with local rivals Getafe in the Bernabeu on Sunday.
The visitors dominated early on and took the lead with a well taken goal from Daniel Guiza in the 38th minute, but they only held the lead until just before the break when Ruud van Nistelrooy scored from the penalty spot.
It was one-way traffic in the second half but Real failed to press home their dominance. They have won only one of their last five home games and look like being without David Beckham and Jose Antonio Reyes for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich after both were injured.
Real stay fourth in La Liga with 44 points, but slipped two behind third-placed Valencia who beat Celta Vigo 1-0 at home on Saturday.
Sevilla are the new leaders with 50 points after coming from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 at home in a dramatic encounter on Saturday. Barca dropped to second with 49.
Earlier, Real Zaragoza came from behind to beat struggling Real Sociedad 3-2 at home to climb to fifth on 42.
The Basque side, who have not won away all season, took the lead through German Herrera early on, but Zaragoza staged a second-half fightback.
WIN SEALED
Pablo Aimar,
In the late game, Recreativo Huelva beat sixth-placed Atletico Madrid 1-0 at home to go level on 40 points, in seventh.
Getafe took the game to Real in the Bernabeu and had a goal ruled out for offside after just six minutes, and soon after rattled the home side's crossbar with a Ruben Pulido header.
Real's first chance came when Reyes played a one-two with Gonzalo Higuain in the 32nd and slipped the ball past Getafe goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.
Getafe managed to scramble the ball off the line under pressure from Robinho. Reyes was injured in the collision with Abbondanzieri and was stretchered off to be replaced by Ruben de la Red.
A busy Beckham crashed a long range effort against the crossbar in the 37th, but a minute later the visitors scored when Mario Cotelo split the Real defence for Guiza to finish past Iker Casillas.
Real levelled after Abbondanzieri brought down Robinho in the area, and Van Nistelrooy scored off the post from the spot.
Getafe tired after the break as Real dominated but Antonio Cassano and Robinho failed to make the most of their chances.
