Madrid, April 9:

Sevilla drew 0-0 with Racing Santander and stayed in second place in Spanish league. Sevilla, bidding for its first league title since 1946, would have moved above leader FC Barcelona if it had beaten the visitors.

Third-place Real Madrid climbed within two points of the lead with a 2-0 win over Osasuna on goals by Raul Gonzalez and Robinho. Madrid’s victory increased their hopes of ending nearly four years without a major trophy, the club’s worst streak since the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Also, it was: Villarreal 0, Atletico Madrid 1; Deportivo La Coruna 1, Gimnastic Tarragona 0; Espanyol 1, Real Sociedad 0; Recreativo Huelva 4, Celta Vigo 2; Levante 1, Real Betis 1; and Mallorca 2, Getafe 0.

With nine games of the season remaining, Barcelona lead with 56 points, followed by Sevilla with 55 and Madrid with 54. Zaragoza and Valencia each have 50 points.

Raul scored the first goal for Madrid in the 24th when he slid in to meet Emerson’s header. Robinho added the second in the 80th after Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez pushed the ball into his path from Gonzalo Higuain’s cross.

Sixth-place Atletico moved up to 47 points but Fabiano Eller’s 32nd-minute match-winning goal infuriated Villarreal. The Brazilian defender headed home from Sergio Aguero’s cross with Villarreal striker Guillermo Franco lying injured on the goalline. Atletico won a penalty with five minutes to go when Villarreal substitute Robert Pires fouled Gabi Fernandez. After Pires was ejected, Atletico captain Fernando Torres’s spot kick was parried by goalkeeper Sebastian Viera.

Gimnastic stayed in last place after a defeat at Deportivo. Iago Iglesias scored from a direct free kick in the 58th for Deportivo. Nineteenth-place Sociedad lost at Espanyol and increased its fears of a return to the second division for the first time in 40 years. The hosts got a goal from Ferran Corominas in the 58th minute.

Another relegation-threatened team, Celta, extended its winless streak to six games after going down at Recreativo. Recreativo’s Jesus Vazquez converted a penalty in the 38th minute. Celta midfielder Nene equalized, also with a spot kick, in the 74th, only for Laurentiu Rosu to score twice in the closing minutes. Nene reduced the deficit in the 90th, with Cheli Gonzalez scoring Recreativo’s fourth in injury time.

Levante maintained its relegation concerns after drawing with fellow struggler Betis. Striker Salva Ballesta headed home in the 34th minute, with Betis striker Robert equalizing in the 80th. Mallorca extended Getafe’s winless streak to seven games on a 64th-minute goal by defender Jose Carlos Nunes and a late strike by Oscar Trejo.