KEY POINTS:
SPAIN
Sevilla took advantage of Barcelona's absence to reclaim top spot in the Primera Liga with a 3-1 win at Recreativo Huelva.
A controversial Luis Fabiano penalty, a 12th goal of the season by Frederic Kanoute and a neat strike from winger Jesus Navas gave the Uefa
Cup holders their 11th win of the season.
Real Madrid bounced back from last week's 2-1 defeat to Sevilla as Ruud van Nistelrooy earned them a 1-0 win at Espanyol with a sharp strike early in the second half.
The visitors held on to inflict a first defeat in 11 matches on Espanyol despite having centre-back Fabio Cannavaro sent off almost immediately after they took the lead.
Sevilla are top with 34 points from 15 games, one point more than Barca, who have a game in hand, and two more than Real.
ENGLAND
Manchester United's lead has been cut from eight points to two in the space of a week. They fell to their second defeat of the season at West Ham United.
The Londoners, under new manager Alan Curbishley, beat United at Upton Park for the first time since the start of the Premier League with a 75th-minute Nigel Reo-Coker goal.
Chelsea twice came from behind to win 3-2 at Everton.
Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard equalised and striker Didier Drogba struck a superb 35-metre winner three minutes from time to take Chelsea to second place on 42 points.
ITALY
Goals by Marco Materazzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Serie A leaders Inter Milan a 2-0 victory over Messina that set a club record of nine straight league wins. The record had lasted since the 1939-40 season.
Inter are on 42 points, seven ahead of AS Roma, who thrashed third-placed Palermo 4-0 thanks to two goals each from Francesco Totti and Brazilian Mancini.
Palermo's title challenge faded further with their heavy defeat to Roma at the Olympic stadium leaving them 11 points adrift in third place.
FRANCE
Olympique Lyon highlighted their supremacy by winning 4-0 at second-placed Racing Lens to move 17 points clear.
The five-times champions have 49 points from a maximum 54 after 18 games, with Lens still on 32 points.
Midfielder Juninho was instrumental again, scoring two goals and setting up another.
Once great St Etienne moved into third, 18 points off the pace, with a 3-0 win over Valenciennes.
Former France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez confirmed he was coming out of retirement to help strugglers Nantes in their bid to escape relegation.
GERMANY
Werder Bremen beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 with a blistering free kick from Brazilian defender Naldo in the 86th minute to claim the Bundesliga's unofficial winter championship.
Werder, the league's top-scoring side with 47 goals, won the title three of the last five times they were first at the halfway point before the Bundesliga's long winter break.
In the last four seasons and 30 of the previous 43, the team leading at the winter break has won the title.
Werder and second-placed Schalke 04, who won 1-0 at Arminia Bielefeld, have 36 points but Bremen are far ahead on goal difference.
Champions Bayern Munich, who crushed Mainz 4-0 away, are third on 33 points, ahead of VfB Stuttgart who slipped to fourth on 32 points after a goalless draw at Energie Cottbus.
NETHERLANDS
Leaders PSV Eindhoven beat lowly Heracles Almelo 3-0 with goals by Timmy Simons, Phillip Cocu and Patrick Kluivert to stretch their winning streak to 11 matches.
Goalkeeper Gomes has not conceded a goal for 829 minutes.
Midway through the season PSV enjoy a seven-point lead over AZ Alkmaar, who beat Groningen 2-0 to stay one point above Ajax Amsterdam following the latter's 3-1 win at Excelsior Rotterdam with a hat-trick from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Blaise N'Kufo struck twice to inspire fourth-placed Twente Enschede to a 5-1 win over Heerenveen, while mid-table Utrecht won 2-1 against Feyenoord who stay fifth.
- REUTERS