KEY POINTS:
Real Madrid stunned fierce rivals Barcelona with a 1-0 win at the Nou Camp to move seven points clear in the Primera Liga.
Serie A leaders Inter Milan secured the bragging rights with a 2-1 derby win over AC Milan while Arsenal retained their one-point lead over Manchester
United going into the Christmas period.
SPAIN
Leaders Real Madrid beat their arch-rivals and closest challengers Barcelona 1-0 at the Nou Camp to take a vice-like hold on the Primera Liga title race.
Julio Baptista's well-taken first-half goal secured the Spanish champions only their second league victory in 24 years at Barca's ground, ended the Catalans' 100 per cent home record this season, and sent them seven points clear at the top.
Espanyol came from behind to beat nine-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 away to climb to third on 33. Simao Sabrosa gave Atletico a first-half lead with a superb freekick but they then had Sergio Aguero sent off.
Raul Tamudo levelled just after the restart and with Atletico reduced to nine soon after when Mariano Pernia was dismissed, Luis Garcia hit the winner with five minutes left.
ENGLAND
Arsenal retained their one-point lead over Manchester United going into the Christmas period after both teams secured tight 2-1 home wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Everton respectively.
Nicklas Bendtner came off the bench to head Arsenal's 76th-minute winner after Robbie Keane had missed a Spurs penalty at 1-1.
United left it even later as Cristiano Ronaldo, who had put them ahead early against in-form Everton, scored an 88th-minute penalty to make it nine straight home league wins for the champions.
Chelsea remain third, five points further back, after Joe Cole's first-half shot was enough for a 1-0 win at Blackburn Rovers.
Fernando Torres scored twice for Liverpool in a 4-1 home win over a Portsmouth team who had won their previous six away league games.
At the other end of the table bottom club Derby County picked up their first point in eight games via a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United - the only team they have beaten this season.
ITALY
Argentine duo Julio Cruz and Esteban Cambiasso earned Serie A leaders Inter Milan a 2-1 win over city rivals AC Milan to take them into the mid-season break with a seven-point advantage over AS Roma.
European champions Milan, who won the Club World Cup in Japan last weekend, had gone ahead in the 18th minute with an Andrea Pirlo free kick.
Captain Francesco Totti returned from a week out with a nagging foot injury to score the goals that gave Roma a 2-0 triumph over Sampdoria.
France striker David Trezeguet bagged his 13th goal of the season and Bosnian midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic was also on target as third-placed Juventus beat strugglers Siena 2-0 in Turin.
Empoli came back from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw at fourth-placed Udinese.
NETHERLANDS
Ajax Amsterdam suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Excelsior Rotterdam and slipped to third as PSV Eindhoven, who went top, and Feyenoord registered wins over Utrecht and NEC Nijmegen respectively.
Mitchell Pique opened the scoring for Excelsior after 31 seconds and early in the second Geert den Ouden doubled the lead. Hedwiges Maduro pulled one back but could not prevent Excelsior securing their first win against Ajax.
Kenneth Perez struck twice to inspire PSV to a 4-1 home victory over Utrecht, with Danko Lazovic and Danny Koevermans also on target.
Feyenoord struggled with NEC the first half but Jonathan de Guzman hit a double in the first quarter after the break as the Rotterdam side ran out 2-0 winners.
FRANCE
A late goal from Chris Malonga secured second-placed AS Nancy a 1-1 draw at home to Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Lyon.
Lyon, who head into the mid-season break with a four-point cushion, led through a Milan Baros goal on 80 minutes before substitute Malonga struck three minutes from time.
Nancy were the better side but were kept at bay by keeper Remy Vercoutre.
Girondins Bordeaux, who won 1-0 at Sochaux courtesy of a late Jussie goal, remain third while goals by Juan Eduardo Eluchans and Cedric Hengbart earned promoted Caen a 2-0 win over Racing Strasbourg which lifted them to fourth.
- REUTERS