Raul shows his delight at his brilliant second strike

Real Madrid were held 2-2 at home to Espanyol, with the champions fighting back twice with masterful goals from Raul.

Bottom club Sporting Gijon got their first win, while a late comeback by Almeria away to Getafe was a highlight of the rest of the games on Sunday.

Under the cosh

Portugal midfielder Fernandes took David Villa's backheeled pass and sent a left-footed shot low into the net in the 54th minute, after Valencia had been under the cosh in the first half against Valladolid.

Valencia go back on top of the table with 16 points, leading Villarreal on goal difference.

Juanma Mata, who had a volley saved in the 23rd, nearly added an insurance goal in the 73rd minute but the Valencia winger's hard shot from just inside the area rolled wide.

Valencia goalkeeper Renan saved Pedro Leon's inswinging free kick earlier before substitute Damian Escudero sent a hard shot over the bar in the 79th minute as Valencia won their fourth straight league game.

Athletic bowed

Earlier, Sevilla trounced Athletic Bilbao 4-0 for their third straight league win to trail the leaders by two points.

Jesus Nava provided Frederic Kanoute with a pass into the area for the 27th-minute opener before the Spanish winger crossed for Renato to head home in the 41st.

Adriano added a third in the second half before Ernesto Chevanton completed the rout with eight minutes to go.

Chevanton knows it's game over [AFP]

Sevilla have 14 points after an impressive start, one better than Barcelona, who beat Atletico Madrid 6-1 on Saturday.

But coach Manolo Jimenez aimed to keep his club grounded after a near-perfect start.

"If we think we're going to win the league in the sixth, seventh or eighth round, we're crazy," Jimenez said. "We need to go step by step and stay with the top four to the end."

Raul class

The late match saw Madrid join Barcelona on 13 points after a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu courtesy of a classy Raul double.

Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia twice gave Espanyol the lead but Raul replied for the Spanish champions each time to stretch Madrid's unbeaten streak to seven games in all competitions and deny the Catalans their first win at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 12 years.

Gabriel Heinze brought Tamudo down in the 21st minute and the Espanyol striker made no mistake on the penalty kick by side-footing into the right of goal with goalkeeper Iker Casillas guessing left.

Sergio Ramos duels with former Barca man Ivan de la Pena [AFP]

Raul rallied Madrid four minutes later by heading Sergio Ramos' cross low into the goal.

Espanyol's quick counterattacks troubled Madrid throughout and Roman Martinez skidded a pass across goal for Luis Garcia to toe in at the far post for another lead in the 31st.

Then on the stroke of half time, Raul took Rafael van der Vaart's pass inside the area, shimmied, and slotted under goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.

Chico time

Getafe raced into a two-goal lead against Almeria, but with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque looking on, Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo headed home his fifth goal of the season in the 87th minute before defender Jose Manuel "Chico" Flores equalised with an injury-time header.

Ikechukwu Uche had given Getafe a 69th-minute lead after shooting under Diego Alves, before Javier Casquero nudged the ball over the Brazil goalkeeper for his second goal in as many games.

At the Nuevo Colombino stadium, Portuguese striker Eliseu scored two goals - one in the opening minute - Nabil Baha headed in a corner in the 40th and Duda scored on a counterattack in Malaga's impressive away win at Recreativo Huelva.

Sporting chance

Sporting Gijon shrugged off their recent hammerings at the hands of Barca and Real, moving out of last place thanks to their first victory of the season against Mallorca.

Carmelo Gonzalez slotted in at the near post from a tight angle in the 12th minute and defender Roberto Canella's quick left-footed shot minutes after half time beat goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya into the far corner.

Mallorca striker Pierre Webo hit the post with a 74th-minute penalty.

Juan Valera's injury-time header gave Racing Santander their first win of the season over 10-man Osasuna.

Jaroslav Plasil was sent off in the 39th minute when the Czech Republic international accidentally handled when jumping to block a free kick inside the area.

Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez saved Ezequiel Garay's subsequent penalty and also blocked the Argentina defender's header from the rebound.

But the Spanish goalkeeper was helpless as Valera headed in at the far post for the winner.

Angel Lafita got a slight flick to Sergio Gonzalez's 14th-minute free kick to head home the winner at El Riazor stadium as Deportivo won for the first time since a season opening victory against Madrid.

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