Real beat Getafe to pull ten clear of Barca
La Liga leaders Real Madrid pulled 10 points clear of chasing Barcelona when Sergio Ramos nodded the only goal in a 1-0 win at city neighbours Getafe on Saturday.
Ramos rose above the home defence to head a Mesut Ozil corner high into the net in the 18th minute on a bitterly cold and blustery night at the Coliseum stadium and lift Real to 55 points from 21 matches.
Real comfortably held on to their lead against a largely toothless Getafe and it was a sixth straight league win for Jose Mourinho's side since they lost 3-1 at home to Barca in December.
Champions Barca, bidding for a fourth straight league title, can trim the gap to their arch rivals back to seven with a win at home to Real Sociedad in the late kickoff.
Valencia, who play a King's Cup semifinal second leg at Barca on Wednesday after this week's first leg ended 1-1, are nine points behind the Catalans in third ahead of their game at a resurgent Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Fourth-placed Levante, Valencia's second club, missed the chance to close within two points of their more illustrious city rivals when they surrendered the lead and were held to a 1-1 draw at home by struggling Racing Santander.
A diving header from striker Arouna Kone put Levante ahead in the 23rd minute before midfielder Manuel Arana levelled for Santander just past the hour.
The draw leaves Levante without a win in six games since they beat Sevilla 1-0 in December and puts them on 32 points.
Athletic Bilbao were on the verge of leapfrogging Levante into the fourth Champions League qualifying spot but conceded an added time goal in an entertaining 3-3 draw at home to Espanyol.
Barcelona-based Espanyol are fifth on 32 points behind Levante on goal difference, with Bilbao two points back on 30 and Atletico on 29 in seventh.
Real Mallorca climbed away from the relegation places when Gonzalo Castro's splendid first-half freekick was enough for a 1-0 win at home to Real Betis.