Extremadura were the big winners of the day, moving up to second place within three points of leaders Salamanca after beating fellow contenders Villarreal 4-1. Manuel, Poli, Fredi and Duré got the goals, with Alfaro replying for Villarreal. Craioveanu was sent off for the visitors with a direct red card for insulting the referee. Salamanca could only manage another disappointing score-less draw with Mérida, their first point in four matches. Levante drew 1-1 at Elche, with a late equaliser from Ettien after Zárate, brother of the Madrid B player, had given Elche a first half lead. They move a point ahead of Las Palmas who lost 0-2 at home to Osasuna, with second half goals by Iván Rosado and Ziganda. The Canary Island side have now gone three months without a home win, and drop out of the top three. They are still a point ahead of Sporting, who were beaten 1-0 by struggling Getafe. The result comes as a relief for the Getafe manager Prado, who would have been fired if they had lost. Four teams are tied on 43 points, one behind Sporting, including Osasuna, Villarreal, Lleida (3-0 winners against Atlético B with two goals from Javi Peña), and Tenerife, who won away at Eibar with an early goal by Pinilla. Córdoba continued their climb up the table with a single goal victory against Compostela, and Badajoz lost ground after a goal-less draw with Recreativo. Logroñes lost a chance to get clear of the relegation zone, losing 0-1 at home to Leganés. They drop to third from bottom, a point now behind Getafe and just ahead of Recreativo. Toledo, who lost 2-1 to Albacete, are now six points adrift of Recreativo and look even closer to the second division B.