Second-placed Sevilla triumphed 3-1 over Espanyol while Real Madrid remain one point and one place further back after their 4-1 thrashing of struggling Athletic Bilbao.

The three-way race for the title with six games to go is the tightest for five years.

Reigning champions Barcelona were on top from the outset against Levante, dominating down the flanks thanks to Argentine wonderkid Lionel Messi, but it took 27 minutes for them to find the net.

Eto'o hammered the ball home from the edge of the area for his ninth goal of the season after Levante goalkeeper Jose Francisco Molina only managed to palm away a Xavi Hernandez volley.

Eto'o then fluffed two superb chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half while Molina had a superb game and denied not only last season's top scorer in the Spanish first division but also superstar Ronaldinho.

"We had plenty of possession of the ball and also plenty of opportunities despite the scoreline only saying 1-0 but failing to make the most of your opportunities is also part of football," reflected Barca coach Frank Rijkaard.

Sevilla had taken over temporarily at the top after beating fellow UEFA Cup semi-finalists Espanyol earlier on Sunday.

"In the first half we played well but couldn't score but a little more space opened up for us in the second half. The only negative note was the way we conceded the goal," said Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.

Two goals in as many minutes from Antonio Puerta and Ernesto Chevanton early in the second half seemed to put Sevilla well in control in what could be a rehearsal for the UEFA Cup final in Glasgow on May 16.

Ferran Corominas replied for Espanyol on the hour, making the most of some slack marking, before Jose Luis Marti restored Sevilla's two goal advantage on 71 minutes with a left foot thunderbolt from the edge of the area.

Real imposed themselves quickly on Athletic and were 2-0 up at the break thanks to headed goals from Sergio Ramos and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the first from a David Beckham free kick and the latter from a Cicinho cross.

Van Nistelrooy then got his 19th goal of the season after 50 minutes, his right foot strike from just beyond the penalty spot being perhaps the best of the game, to become the joint leading scorer in the Spanish first division.

Fernando Llorente headed a consolation goal for Athletic after 81 minutes but Real were not finished and two minutes later Jose Maria Gutierrez added their fourth goal as the Basques' heads went down.

The only sour note was that Beckham picked up another of his seemingly habitually silly bookings, this time for not retreating fast enough at a free-kick, and he will be suspended for next Sunday's vital match against Sevilla.

At the other end of the table, relegation now looms even larger for bottom club Gimnastic Tarragona after they went down 3-0 at home to Villarreal.

Diego Forlan opened the scoring after 18 minutes following a pass from Alessio Tacchinardi.

Forlan and Matias Fernandez finished off job with further goals for Villarreal late in the game.

Real Sociedad remain in penultimate position after losing 1-0 at Getafe, with defender Alexis Ruano headed home a Mario Cotelo corner after 70 minutes.

Celta Vigo continue to struggle, despite the arrival of new coach Hristo Stoichkov three weeks ago, and crashed 3-0 in front of their own fans to Real Mallorca.

"We lost a battle not the war, and no player went out on the field wanting to lose," reflected the Bulgaria and Barcelona legend.

Juan Arango put Mallorca ahead after just 10 minutes, the Venezulan striker finding the net with a looping left foot effort from the edge of the area.

Fernando Varela added to Celta's woes with a superb long-range strike from 20 metres midway through the first half and Maxi Lopez added Mallorca's third goal 10 minutes from time.