BEIRUT/MADRID: Leader Real Madrid stretched their lead over Barcelona to 10 points Sunday with a 4-2 victory against Levante. Barcelona lost 3-2 at Osasuna Saturday giving the three-time defending champions and an almost impossible task in overturning Real Madrid.Gustavo Cabral gave Levante a shock lead after five minutes, a lead that the team nearly held onto for the entire half. But Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot after Vicente Iborra was sent off for Levante.

Within 12 minutes of the restart Ronaldo would have a hat trick to kill off any hopes of another Levante surprise. Arouna Kone pulled a goal back after 63 minutes but Karim Benzema scored Real Madrid’s fourth goal three minutes later.

Third-place Valencia beat Sporting Gijon 4-0 for their first Spanish league victory in nearly two months, while last-place Zaragoza got a much-needed boost by beating Espanyol 2-0 for their first win since October.

Valencia’s Sofiane Feghouli met Jeremy Mathieu’s skipping pass to volley a curling shot into the roof of the net in the 33rd minute before Sporting defender Alberto Botia redirected Feghouli’s 73rd-minute strike into his own goal. Jonas scored both of his goals in stoppage time, heading Adil Rami’s cross beyond Juan Pablo Colinas before sliding a shot through the goalkeepers legs following a turnover on the last play.

Sporting, which remains winless since firing coach Manuel Preciado, is just four points ahead of Zaragoza, whose first victory in 15 games came from second-half goals by Paulo da Silva and Juan Carlos Perez.

Da Silva headed home Luis Garcia’s corner kick at the far post to put the visitors ahead after 55 minutes at Cornella-El Prat stadium, and Juan Carlos Perez secured Zaragoza’s first victory in 15 games by scoring in stoppage time.

Zaragoza, whose last league win came against Real Sociedad on Oct. 16, remains eight points from safety after its third win of the season. Espanyol saw a seven-game unbeaten run end, and failed to take advantage of Athletic Bilbao’s 3-2 loss to Real Betis Saturday in the duel for one of the league’s Champions League qualifying spots.

“These things happen,” Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

Also Sunday, Malaga moved within one point of Espanyol after rallying for a 3-1 victory over Mallorca, while Rayo Vallecano beat Getafe 2-0 in a Madrid derby.

Valencia’s first win in six matches moved it to within eight points of Barcelona, with the pair meeting next week, while Levante trails its crosstown rival by eight points in fourth.

Levante hasn’t won a match in 2012 but is still fourth and in the final Champions League place, tied with Espanyol on 32 points but ahead on goal difference. Malaga, Osasuna and Atletico Madrid, which drew 0-0 at Racing Santander Saturday, have 31 points and Bilbao has 30.

Michael Pereira surprised Malaga after just four minutes by beating goalkeeper Willy Caballero with a long free-kick, but Sebastian Fernandez latched on to the rebound from Jose Rondon’s saved shot in the 11th to equalize.

France’s Jeremy Toulalan put Malaga ahead in the 55th following a corner, and Rondon added an insurance goal in the 69th after taking a pass from Sergio Sanchez inside the area.

Miguel “Michu” Perez put Rayo ahead with his 11th league goal of the season in the 34th, with Diego Costa heading home second in the 64th, just minutes after Getafe was left with 10 men after Migeul Marcos was sent off.

Sevilla Monday play at Sociedad.