MADRID. Dec 11:

Spanish League champions Deportivo La Coruna missed an op-nortunitv to move

clear in the Primera Litja title race Sunday when they were held 1-1 by Ravo Vallecano, reports AFP.

Deportivo let a 1-0 lead slip and had to be happy with a draw which puts them level on 28 points with Valencia, but second outright on goal difference

Valencia had gone to the top of the league on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Real So-ciedad.

Norway's John Carew and Juan Sanchez both scored in the second half to earn Hector Coper’s side the three points.

Meanwhile Malaga's Uruguayan Dario Silva equalled the fastest ever goal scored in the Spanish championship, held since 1997 by Paraguay's "Lobo" Diarte. by finding the net after just seven seconds in their 3-1 victory against Valladolid.

Deportivo. down to 10 men in the 52nd minute when DJal-minha was sent off. went ahead thanks to Dutch striker Roy Makaay. recently back to fitness following an ankle injury in the summer.

Vallecano's Bosnian striker Elvir . Bolic however cancelled out Makaay's 33rd minute ef-

'fort with a 71st minute equal-

Elsewhere Real Madrid's Luis Figo showed he was worth his 55-million-dollar price tag with a virtuoso goal in their 3-0 victory Over CeTta Vigo at the Santiago Bemabeu stadium.

Ivan Helgnera put Madrid ahead on 11 minutes and Figo displayed his extraordinary' piece of skill with his right foot on 33 minutes.

He flicked the ball past one Vigo player to start his move then did it again to beat a second player before touching the ball home with the keeper about to intercept.

Brazil's Roberto Carlos made the match safe with a spectacular third goal for Real on the hour, his curling left foot shot completely bypassed the wall and shot into the top left hand corner.

"We got the result thanks to the extraordinary actions of some players and good defensive work." said Real coach Vicente Del Bosque after the game. Real are now just two points behind the leaders.

Barcelona, after a chaotic start to the season, managed to beat Espanyol 4-2 in their home derby at the Nou Camp stadium to give themselves hope of clawing up from fifth spot later in the season.

Celebrations of a different sort started early in the match when there was a standing

ovation from the 70.000 spectators for Spain's victory in the Davis Cup final in the city the same day.

Rivaldo opened the scoring lor Barca on 14 minutes after a superb pass from Patrick Kluivert. The- Dutch striker, with his back to the goal, beat the off-side trap with a stunning through ball, leaving the Brazilian to slot home with his first touch.

Barca extended their lead 10 minutes later when Xavi scored with a cracking 30-metre drive after good work by Simao Sam-brosa on the right.

Riva Irin then notched up his eighth league goal ol the season with a cool strike from (he penalty spot after Kluivert was adjudged to have been brought down in the area on 57 min-

Barcas fourth was the best ol the game Kluivert made a run on goal and. when he saw his path blocked, back-heeled to Luis Enrique who' curled a delicate shot past the despairing Espanyol custodian Juan Luis Mora.

Meanwhile Alaves dropped horn fifth spot to seventh following their 2-1 defeat against Racing Santander whose new roue h Gregorio Manzano could not have had a better start

Racing fought back from behind to score two goals in the last quarter-hour to move out of the relegation zone