Real Madrid breathed new life into the Spanish title race on Sunday when they beat Barcelona 4-2 in an enthralling encounter at the Bernabeu, cutting their arch-rivals lead to six points with seven to play.
AC Milan and Juventus, neck and neck at the top of Serie A, had to settle for draws against lowly opponents on Saturday while Chelsea also only managed a point at home to Birmingham City as they near a first English title in 50 years.
- - - -
SPAIN
First half strikes from Zinedine Zidane, Raul and Ronaldo and a superbly taken effort from Michael Owen midway through the second gave Real a thrilling 4-2 over leaders Barcelona and handed them an outside chance of snatching the title.
Barca suffered what could prove to be an even more important blow when leading striker Samuel Eto'o, who scored their first, left the pitch with a knee injury.
Ronaldinho fooled Real keeper Iker Casillas with a sweetly struck free kick from the edge of the area 17 minutes from time but his side were unable to narrow Real's lead any further.
Earlier Sevilla moved up into third place, a distant 11 points behind Real, after an authoritative 3-1 victory over fellow high-fliers Espanyol.
- - - -
ITALY
Serie A leaders AC Milan and second-placed Juventus were held to draws by lowly opponents but in starkly contrasting fashion.
In a pulsating match in Florence, Juve came from behind three times with two goals from Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic helping them salvage a 3-3 draw at Fiorentina.
Milan were held 1-1 at home to Brescia after a thundering equaliser from the visitors' defender Pier Wome three minutes from time ended their run of eight successive wins.
Those results left Milan top on goal difference with both teams on 67 points from 30 matches and eight games left.
Third-placed Inter, who face Milan in a Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday, won 1-0 at Bologna with an early goal by Julio Ricardo Cruz against his old club.
- - - -
ENGLAND
Chelsea were eight minutes away from their first league home defeat of the season before substitute Didier Drogba equalised to give the runaway Premier League leaders a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City.
The result leaves Chelsea 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, 1-0 winners at Middlesbrough, with six matches to go.
Manchester United, however, were left 14 points adrift in third place after a shock 2-0 defeat at Norwich City, whose performance belied their position at the bottom of the table.
Norwich scored two goals in 11 minutes through Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie, who struck with a left-footed volley in the 66th, to end United's 20-match unbeaten league run and any lingering title hopes.
- - - -
GERMANY
Bayern Munich moved three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga thanks to a 2-1 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach and a helping hand from VfB Stuttgart, who beat Schalke 04 3-0.
With six games left to play, Bayern lead the standings with 59 points, followed by Schalke on 56.
Third-placed Stuttgart, needing victory to force their way back into the title reckoning, overpowered Schalke with a Kevin Kuranyi hat-trick.
They now have 54 points and a realistic chance of claiming the championship, with a home game to come against Bayern on the last day of the season.
- - - -
FRANCE
Two goals by Pierre-Alain Frau gave leaders Olympique Lyon a 2-2 draw at struggling Nantes to extend their lead in Ligue 1 to 14 points.
Olympique Marseille conceded more ground when they bowed 1-0 at Racing Strasbourg, Mamadou Niang netting the winner in stoppage time.
Lyon have 66 points from 32 games, while Marseille are level on 52 points with second-placed Lille who have a game in hand because their game in Monaco was postponed after the death of Prince Rainier III.
More from rediff