Cristiano Ronaldo was among the goalscorers as Real Madrid stayed on top in La Liga after beating Las Palmas 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancosheld on to first place despite hated foe Barcelona's hard-fought win over Getafe.Villarreal missed out on the fourth and final UEFA Champions League spot after beating Sevilla at El Madrigal. Third place belongs to Celta Vigoafter they secured a vital away win against manager David Moyes' Real Sociedad.Meanwhile, Valencia won big to move up into the top six.Here are the full scores from Saturday's games:Here's what those results mean for the table:RecapRonaldo's goal followed Isco's opener for Los Blancos. Las Palmas hit back whenHernan Santana headed in a corner. But Jese Rodriguez soon slotted Madrid back in front during a game in which all the goals came before half-time.For Jese and Isco, the goals will serve as a welcome reprieve. Both players have been linked with moves away from the Spanish capital. Jese has been linked with a possible loan switch to Premier League side Arsenal, according to Daily Mirror reporter Aaron Flanagan. Meanwhile, a switch to north London has also been mooted for Isco, as Spanish website Fichajes.netnoted (h/t Metro's George Bellshaw).Yet the pair offered timely reminders of their individual quality by ably filling in for injured forwards Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Their form is an endorsement of the strength in depth at manager Rafa Benitez's disposal.Options as good as these are great news for Los Merengues' title chances.In a tricky-looking away fixture, Barca needed a moment of magic to open up Getafe. An extraordinary midair backheel from youngster Sergi Roberto teed up Luis Suarez to net the opener.BBC Sport's Andy West was impressed:The exquisite flair capped a move that was sparked into life by Neymar Jr.'s pace from the wing. Spanish football writer Sergi Dominguez lauded the quality of the overall team play:In the second half, Roberto undid Getafe again when his smart cross found Neymar. The Brazilian showed no fuss with the unerring finish to put Barca two up.It took goals from full-back Mario and striker Cedric Bakambu to stake Villarreal into a two-goal lead over Sevilla. But the resolute visitors hit back and made things nervy late thanks to a Fernando Llorente header.The striker's effectiveness in the air is now historic in Spain's top flight, according to MisterChipon Twitter:As for Villarreal, manager Marcelino has his plucky team ticking over nicely. There's plenty of defensive resolve, midfield ingenuity and underrated firepower up front.The latter two qualities weren't in short supply at the Mestalladuring Valencia's emphatic win. Gifted young striker Paco Alcacer opened the scoring from the spot just after the hour mark.Industrious midfield man Sofiane Feghouli doubled the advantage with 13 minutes left. Three minutes later, substituteZakaria Bakkali slotted home the third for some gloss on the score. The former PSV Eindhovenprospect added pace and guile to an already-fluid forward line.In the last game of the night, Imanol Agirretxe and Iago Aspas each hit a brace during an entertaining affair at Anoeta. But Vigo midfielder Markel Bergara had the last word just before the final minute to put Celta back in the top four.The league is now starting to take shape as expected. Villarreal and Celta had been surprise packages early on. But while they are still enjoying excellent seasons, La Liga is again morphing into a familiar two-horse race.So far, a Lionel Messi-less Barcelona are matching Madrid blow for blow. The upcoming first ElClasico of the season will have a big say in the eventual destination of this season's title.
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