Atlético Madrid kept up their faint hopes of keeping up with Barcelona with a 1-0 win over Espanyol on Sunday, Falcao scoring from the penalty spot.
Málaga slipped up at Betis, losing 3-0. The visitors were 1-0 down after just one minute thanks to Jorge Molina and Mario and Pabon added two more to put the result beyond doubt and claim the three points.
Despite the loss, Málaga remain in fourth place, one point ahead of Valencia.