Real leave it late

Real Madrid left it late against Sevilla, with Rafael van der Vaart's winner in stoppage-time sealing a 3-2 victory. After Barcelona were held 2-2 against Almeria, Madrid took to the field knowing that a win would send them into first place.

Just 10 minutes had passed when a swift breakaway spearheaded by Jesús Navas led to Xabi Alonso, under pressure from Alvaro Negredo, turning Diego Capel's cross into his own net.

Such a foolish concession stung Madrid into action, but despite achieving near total dominance, they were unable to conjure an equaliser. Peppering the Sevilla goal, instead of the crucial breakthrough, they found only an inspired Andrés Palop, the goalkeeper at times taking on the Madrid attack on his own.

Dragutinovic then doubled the lead seven minutes after the break - his free-kick was harmless enough and would have drifted safely into Iker Casillas's arms but for a deflection in the wall to take the ball spinning into the far corner.

The game is never truly up when Cristiano Ronaldo is lurking and on the hour the Portuguese breathed fresh life into Madrid when he fired home a loose ball from close range. Four minutes later, they were level. After Guti's fierce effort had crashed against the bar, Sergio Ramos took advantage of Sevilla's teetering defence to head in a corner.

Parity restored, Madrid piled forward in search of a winner. Gonzalo Higuain ought to have provided it on two occasions but the striker, usually so deadly, shot against the bar and the post.

Somehow still level, Sevilla looked set to emerge with a point until Madrid launched one final attack, and when Palop could only push Higuain's header back into the melee, Van Der Vaart was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.