BARCA RETAIN TOP SPOT

A review of the weekend's action so far in the Spanish Primera Liga, as Barcelona ease to victory at Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona remain at the top of the Primera Division table following a comfortable 2-0 win atRayo Vallecano, who had two men sent off in the second half.

The Madrid side made a promising start to the game but Lionel Messi got the visitors off the mark after 34 minutes and a moment later Neymar doubled the advantage to kill off Rayo's hopes.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when Jorge Morcillo received a second booking, and Rayo forward Javier Aquino suffered the same fate in injury time, but they conceded no further goals.

Barca goalkeeper Claudio Bravo also made club history by keeping a record seventh consecutive clean sheet, and the Chilean made a vital save early on to prevent Alberto Bueno from giving Rayo the lead after nine minutes, diving across goal to tip the forward's driven shot around the post.

Atletico Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season as they were overpowered by a rampant Valencia side, who scored three goals in a chaotic opening 13 minutes to win 3-1 at the Mestalla.

A shock own goal from Miranda put the hosts in front with just six minutes played and a well-taken goal by Andre Gomes doubled their lead a minute later, while Nicolas Otamendi's header completed the early blitz.

Mario Mandzukic hit back for Atletico and threatened to spark a revival, but hopes of staging a comeback were stopped in their tracks when Guilherme Siqueira had a penalty before the break saved by Diego Alves. Substitute Alessio Cerci thought he had scored a consolation goal for Atleti in stoppage time, but the effort was chalked off for handball and he was subsequently sent off for a second yellow card.

Ten-man Malaga saw off Andalusian rivals Granada 2-1 to end a five-match winless streak, Vitorino Antunes netting the decider from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.

Youssef El Arabi put Granada ahead inside the first minute but Malaga drew level through Roque Santa Cruz's strike on the hour and, despite losing Marcos Angeleri to a 73rd-minute red card, the hosts claimed the points thanks to Antunes' late spot-kick.

The spoils were shared in the other two evening matches, with Eibar and Levanteplaying out a thrilling 3-3 draw, while Almeria drew 2-2 with Elche.

Jose Luis Mendilibar's Levante took the lead through Jose Luis Morales after just two minutes and doubled their advantage before half-time courtesy of Victor Camarasa.

The visitors seamed to be cruising but an own goal by Pedro Lopez at the start of the second half revitalised the hosts and they then drew level through Saul Berjon's wonder goal.

Victor Casadesus looked to have sealed the points for Levante with a superb strike of his own in the 79th minute, but substitute Federico Piovaccari had the last word, with the Italian striking into the back of the net in the third minute of added time.

There was also a late leveller for Almeria at home to 10-man Elche.

Elche twice took the lead through Victor Rodriguez (six) and Jonathas (56) but lost the latter to a red card 11 minutes later and Almeria, who had equalised a first time through Jose Antonio Verza's 37th-minute penalty, salvaged a point thanks to Tomer Hemed's goal five minutes from time.

On Friday night, Baba Diawara's 89th-minute equaliser earned Getafe a 1-1 draw and denied Cordoba a first win of the Primera Division season on Friday night.

Diawara poked home to cancel out Patrick Ekeng Ekeng's opener in the 78th minute as an otherwise poor match finished in dramatic fashion.