Real Madrid edge Valencia to stay on Barca's tail, Atletico slump

Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, falling further away from the top two. After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa's Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals. Missing suspended forward Vinicius Junior and injured midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos lacked sparkle but did enough to claim three points on Spain's east coast.