Espanyol beats Valencia 3-0 in Spain

MADRID (AP) -- Roman Martinez, Nicolas Pareja and Nene scored second-half goals Sunday to lead Espanyol to a 3-0 victory over Valencia and the team's fourth straight win in the Spanish league.

Roman's first touch was a half-volley that went into the top of goal in the 66th minute -- only three minutes after coming on as a substitute with Espanyol's offense unable to generate any shots on goal.

Pareja curled a free kick into the same corner of goal in the 82nd and Nene scored a penalty in injury time to ensure Espanyol stayed unbeaten in six games -- with five victories -- to put itself four points clear of the relegation zone.

"We have to stay calm," said coach Mauricio Pochettino, under whom Espanyol has lost just four times in 15 games and recorded its first win at Barcelona for 27 years. "We've won 3-0 against a great team but we remain in a difficult situation."

Fourth-place Valencia lost a chance to put distance between itself and its closest rivals for the final Champions League qualifying spot.

Atletico Madrid joined Villarreal just one point behind Valencia after a 2-0 win at Real Betis.

Atletico went ahead in the 14th minute following a quick combination between Raul Lopez and Maxi Rodriguez, who passed to Diego Forlan who swept the ball home.

Forlan took his goal tally for the season to 25 in the 90th after Luis Garcia put him through and he slotted the ball past Ricardo Soares inside the near post.

Deportivo La Coruna's 1-0 win over Valladolid took it to within three points of Valencia.

A goalkeeping error by Vladimir Stojkovic condemned Getafe to a 2-1 loss at Mallorca, the fifth-straight defeat for the Madrid club which is now in danger of being relegated from the top flight.

A change of coach on Monday, which saw former Real Madrid midfielder Michel replace Victor Munoz, failed to make much difference for Getafe as a blunder by Stojkovic set up the winner for Mallorca striker Aritz Aduritz in the 68th minute.

"That play, I don't know how to categorize it," Michel said. "The truth is it cost us."

Jose Jurado had put Mallorca ahead after nine minutes, but an own-goal by David Navarro two minutes into the second half leveled the score.

Getafe is even with Sporting Gijon in the final relegation spot, both with 34 points. Mallorca is ninth with 45 points, two more than Almeria, who won at Racing Santander 2-0.

Also Sunday, Recreativo Huelva scored two late goals to beat Osasuna 2-1 and Athletic Bilbao equalized in injury time to draw 1-1 at Sporting.

Barcelona scored a historic victory over Real Madrid with a 6-2 win that put it seven points ahead of the two-time defending champions with four games to play.

It was the first time that Barcelona had scored six goals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and gives the Catalan team a major boost ahead of the second of the Champions League semifinals at Chelsea on Wednesday.

Barcelona matched the league's highest points tally of 85 with the victory. Madrid has 78 points in second place, while Sevilla is third with 60 and Valencia has 56.

Golf great Seve Ballesteros, who is battling cancer, was given an ovation at the El Sardinero stadium, but that failed to inspire Racing Santander, who allowed two goals inside 13 minutes from Almeria's Juan Manuel Ortiz.

At the Reyno de Navarro stadium, Nasief Morris volleyed home the winner in the sixth-minute of injury time as Recreativo rallied to move out of last place with its first win in nine games.

Walter Pandiani opened for Osasuna by heading in Cesar Azpilicueta's long throw-in in the 25th, but the hosts were reduced to 10 men after Sergio Fernandez was sent-off in the 54th.

Ersen Martin then equalized for Recreativo in the 81st to begin the fight back.

Rodolfo Bodipo's delicate no-look back pass freed Lassad Nouioui inside the area to score Deportivo's winner in the seventh minute.

Valladolid hasn't scored in six games.

Andoni Iraiola bundled a loose ball into the goal in injury time as Athletic moved to 41 points. Sporting, which took the lead from Mate Bilic's 61st-minute header, drew for the first time this season.

Also Saturday, Sevilla beat Villarreal 2-0 and Numancia defeated Malaga 2-0.