Zaragoza's promotion celebrations were put on hold after they were beaten 2-0 by struggling Leganés on Saturday evening. The 4,000 or so travelling fans outnumbered the local supporters, but they were disappointed when the home side took the lead, Calandria finishing off after Lawal set him up on a quick breakaway. Enrique Martín's side played a waiting game, allowing their opponents to come at them, but Calandria almost extended the lead when he hit the bar early in the second half. Flores brought on Aragón, Yordi and Drulic to push for the equaliser, but Calandria caught them on the hop again near the end to take a vital three points and take his side away from the danger zone. Zaragoza now have to wait to see if Levante fail to win on Sunday, in which case they will be mathematically up, but even if they don't do it this weekend it must surely be a question of time.

Meanwhile leaders Murcia were consolidating their position at the top of the table with a 1-4 win at Las Palmas. David Vidal's side held off the early pressure, with Reinke saving twice from Pedro Vega, before David Karanka and Ismael took advantage of defensive mistakes to score twice in the build up to half time. The visitors continued to attack in the second half, and after Acciari had a goal disallowed, Pedro Largo headed a third. Carmelo pulled a goal back for the Canary Islanders, but Acciari finished off the rout with a fourth goal on the hour mark. There could even have been more goals, Pedro Vega and Monteagudo both hitting the woodwork later on, but by then most of the crowd had gone home. Murcia ended the day six points clear at the top, and are now clear favourites to take the second division title.

Down at the bottom of the table, Almería took a valuable point with a 2-2 draw against Sporting Gijon. The match was played in León after Sporting's Molinón stadium had been closed for one game following crowd trouble against Numancia, but around 5,000 fans made the trip to watch their side. The Asturians' top scorer David Villa opened the scoring in the ninth minute, but Olivares levelled the scores from a corner midway through the first half. Seven minutes after the restart Villa put his side back in front after Barbero could only block Juan's shot, but in the last minute Bilic made it all square again to keep the Andalucians three points above the drop zone.

Elche and Terrassa ended up sharing the points in Saturday's other game, an injury time goal from local substitute Meca making it 2-2 to keep his team a point above their rivals. The Catalans took the lead against the run of play in the first half when Cristian beat Aizkorreta with a long shot. And it was not until halfway through the second half that the home side replied, Nino connecting with Luque's cross to steer the ball past Morales. Héctor restored the lead for the visitors though soon afterwards, and it looked as if caretaker manager Casimiro Torres' good start had come to a rapid end before Meca headed home another centre from Luque.

Albacete beat Getafe 3-1 on Sunday night with two goals from top scorer Jesús Perera to move level with Zaragoza in second place. Kicking off later in the evening, the players knew early on that their only other promotion rivals Levante had won, and that anything but a victory could complicate matters. But Perera put them ahead midway through the first half after good work by Pablo Sierra, and although Alberto fired an equaliser before the break, Perera was there again after the restart to put his side back in front with his 22nd of the season. There was a moment of anxiety when visiting midfielder Rivas had a goal disallowed for offside, but Buades headed a third goal at the end to end the suffering of the fans. Albacete visit Zaragoza next weekend, but with both sides eight points clear of Levante with three games to go they are virtually in the first division already.

Levante have not given up the fight for promotion just yet, and a late goal by Castaño gave them a 2-1 win over Tenerife to keep alive their faint hopes of going up. They had to come back from behind though to do so, the visitors taking the lead when Kiko Torres scrambled the ball home ten minutes before half time. The goal and the rain left the home fans looking depressed, but Sérvulo equalised on the stroke of half time to perk them up a bit, and won a penalty for his side at the start of the second half. Valero saved Amato's kick though and it looked as if they were out until Castaño's free kick deflected in to the net off Corona. Tenerife's Paunovic showed his frustrations by getting himself sent off for arguing with the referee, but his side are at least safe for another season.

Salamanca made sure of staying up as well after coming from behind twice to beat Compostela 4-2. Maikel put the visitors ahead in the sixth minute, and although Escoda set up Cacá for an equaliser on the half hour mark, Juanito re-established the lead just before the break with a shot which keeper Balbuena deflected in off the bar. But two goals in four minutes from ex Atlético Madrid midfielder Roberto Fresnedoso turned the score around, and although substitute Robert got himself sent off, the locals added a fourth goal through Raúl Gañan five minutes from the end.

The relegation struggle hotted up this weekend, with several teams fighting it out to avoid the drop. Bottom club Badajoz did themselves no favours though by losing 4-0 at Numancia, and they are now five points away from safety. Although the Extremadurians had most of the play early on, they found themselves behind when Sestelo headed home Miguel Pérez's cross. Pérez added a second himself before the half time interval, and Sestelo got his second of the night four minutes after the restart to make it three. Local manager Máximo Hernández brought on Cameroon's Kome midway through the second half, and almost immediately he headed a fourth goal from a corner to complete the rout.

Oviedo's come back was cut short when they were defeated 1-0 by Poli Ejido, and they fall three points behind their nearest rivals in the race to avoid the drop. It was a frustrating game, and after Geni's early effort there were virtually no shots on target until just before half time. In the 42nd minute Arturo's shot was stopped on the line by a hand from Oviedo's Amieva, and the referee had no hesitation sending the midfielder off and awarding a penalty which Poschner converted. Both keepers made saves after the break, the home side's Kike from Geni and later on Jonathan from José and Sierra, but there were no further scores and the Asturians returned home empty handed.

Quite a fight though to avoid the last two relegation spots, with three teams (Córdoba, Eibar and Ferrol) tied on 43 points and four others within three points of them. Córdoba are now in big trouble after losing 1-2 against Racing Ferrol, and the day after the game manager Fernando Zambrano became victim number sixteen in the second division this season. Cuéllar put the visitors in front with a quarter of an hour on the clock after a good run by Uche, and despite two headers against the woodwork by Moisés the Gallicians were still ahead at the break. Moisés got his reward four minutes in to the second half, but a well taken goal by Cuéllar ten minutes from the end sentenced the match. Córdoba's Pezzarossi was sent off for a second bookable offence shortly after the last goal.

Eibar earned themselves a valuable point with a 1-1 draw at Xerez to keep their heads above water, but they still find themselves struggling for survival. Lediakhov gave them hope of a win when he finished off a good run with a shot which deflected off a defender past Mora early on in the match. But Urzelai fouled Deus in the penalty area on the stroke of half time, and Zárate scored the equaliser from the spot. Both goalscorers had chances to give their sides the victory after the break, but in the end they had to make do with a point apiece.