Barcelona failed to break down a frantic Real Betis defence as they were held to a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Saturday but still gained ground on Real Madrid who earlier conceded deep into added time to lose 2-1 at home to Valencia.

Vinicius Jr missed his second penalty in less than a month as LaLiga champions Real Madrid were shocked at home by Valencia 2-1 on Saturday, leaving the door open for rivals Barcelona to extend their lead on top of the LaLiga standings.

With only a few matches remaining, the race for both the title and the Pichichi remains wide open. Lewandowski and Mbappe will push each other to the limit, knowing that every goal could be the difference between glory and disappointment.

Rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, locked in a title battle in La Liga and set to face off in the Copa del Rey final, have "a lot of respect" for each other, says Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Spain's National Sports Council (CSD) on Thursday upheld an appeal filed by Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor which will allow them to play for the club until the end of the season, a decision LaLiga said they would appeal.

Record 31-time winners Barca had the better of the clash at the Metropolitano stadium after the wild 4-4 first leg draw, and defeat leaves Diego Simeone's Atletico with little to play for in the rest of the season.

La Liga said Wednesday Barcelona did not have the financial capacity to register players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor and still lack it, ahead of a decision by Spain's sports council (CSD) over the duo's eligibility to play.

But Robert Lewandowski came to the rescue at 1-1 as the 36-year-old netted twice to guide Barcelona to the win. The Polish striker also extended his tally at the top of LaLiga's scoring chart to 25 goals.

Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace as Barcelona eased to a 4-1 victory over Girona to move three points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

Leading LaLiga with 63 points, Barca face Girona on Sunday after only two days rest following their 3-0 triumph over Osasuna and over the next 17 days they have six matches in all competitions.

A Spanish appeals court overturned Friday former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves' rape conviction, citing insufficient evidence.

The Catalans' appeal against the rescheduling of this game was rejected but Hansi Flick's side, unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions, still made light work of Osasuna, 14th.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri said he is putting team trophies ahead of individual accolades this season and would only want to be awarded the Ballon d'Or if his side won the Champions League and completed the treble.

The 21-year-old has made 37 appearances in all competitions this season for Hansi Flick's side.

Trailing by two goals, the Catalan giants mounted a remarkable turnaround, with Yamal netting in the 92nd minute and Ferran Torres sealing the victory in the 98th. The win saw Barca leapfrog Madrid, who had briefly taken the lead in the standings following their victory over Villarreal on Saturday.

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio has earned his first call-up from Spain manager Luis de la Fuente on Friday for their two-leg Nations League quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

Getafe's Mauro Arambarri scored a last-gasp quickfire double to upset 10-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Sunday as Diego Simeone's side missed a golden opportunity to move top of LaLiga.

The doctor had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men's football first team a few months ago.

Raphinha claimed Barcelona a 1-0 Champions League last-16 first leg win at Benfica on Wednesday, despite the Catalan giants playing most the game with 10 men.

 Barcelona returned to the top of the LaLiga table and wrested back control of the title race with a comfortable 4-0 home victory over 10-man Real Sociedad on Sunday.