Madrid snatch derby draw

Madrid, Feb. 27: Real Madrid's young striker Alvaro Rodriguez salvaged a late 1-1 draw for the champions in a tense derby clash against 10-man Atletico Madrid on Saturday in La Liga.

New Valencia coach Ruben Baraja earned his first win with an impressive 1-0 triumph against Real Sociedad at Mestalla, to help the team move provisionally one point clear of the drop zone.

Real Madrid's draw reduces league leaders Barcelona's advantage on Los Blancos to seven points.

Jose Gimenez had headed Atletico in front in the second half shortly after team-mate Angel Correa had been sent off for elbowing Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger.

However 18-year-old Rodriguez headed Madrid level on only his second league appearance for the club.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted his team's hopes of defending the title are fading, albeit not extinguished.

"It's not a goodbye to La Liga -- it's even more complicated, but we will fight to the end and see what happens," Ancelotti told reporters.

Atletico were reduced to 10 men after an hour when Correa lashed out and hit Rudiger in the chest, with the German defender flinging himself to the floor.

Gimenez, who had replaced the injured Reinildo, met Antoine Griezmann's inviting free-kick with a towering header after 78 minutes to break the deadlock.

However substitute Rodriguez intervened with five minutes left on the clock, leaping brilliantly to nod Luka Modric's corner in off the post.

At Mestalla, Valencia put in a hard-working performance to defeat third place Real Sociedad, now just a point ahead of Atletico.

Igor Zubeldia's own goal split the teams, the defender turning into his own net as he tried to cut out a Samuel Lino cross five minutes before the break.

Cadiz earned a 1-0 win over sixth-place Rayo Vallecano to climb into mid-table, while Martin Braithwaite netted twice for Espanyol to beat Real Mallorca 2-1.

Napoli stretch lead

Victor Osimhen continued his hot streak on Saturday with the second in Napoli's 2-0 win at Empoli which stretched the league leaders' massive advantage to 18 points.

Osimhen tapped in his 11th goal in all competitions since the turn of the year in the 28th minute in Tuscany to help move Napoli another step closer to what looks like an inevitable first league title since 1990.

The 24-year-old's 19th league strike of a sensational season increased Napoli's points tally to a barely believable 65 after 24 games.

"To be considered one of the best strikers in Europe is a huge thing for me, it's huge motivation," Osimhen told DAZN.

"I want to keep on going like this, getting the goals for the team and edging closer to our objective this season."

Dortmund go three points clear In-form Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt scored a freak first-half goal to secure a 1-0 win at Hoffenheim on Saturday and send his side three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Just before half-time, Dortmund captain Marco Reus swung in a free-kick from just outside the box to Brandt, who looked to be trying to get out of the way, but the ball skimmed off his back and into the net.

Brandt, who was named Bundesliga player of the month on Thursday, has now scored in five consecutive matches for Dortmund, who are on a nine-match winning streak.

He said his side "pushed our luck a bit" but declared the victory was a "strong snapshot" of where the team is right now.

Bayern Munich and Union Berlin are three points behind Dortmund.Elsewhere, RB Leipzig climbed into the top four with a 2-1 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

In Saturday's late game, rock-bottom Schalke claimed a crucial three points in their bid to avoid relegation, beating fellow strugglers Stuttgart 2-1 at home. (AFP)