Espanyol rediscovered its winning form thanks to the return of striker Pablo Osvaldo, who scored his seventh goal after surging into the area after eight minutes.

Luis Garcia converted a penalty kick in the 30th after Marc Callejon was tripped inside the area. Garcia found Alvaro Vazquez racing down the middle of the area in the 34th and the 19-year-old striker flicked it past goalkeeper Leo Franco with the outside of his foot for 3-0.

Garcia then spotted Sergio Garcia alone in the 87th for an easy goal into an empty net that dropped Zaragoza into last behind Almeria and Sporting on goal difference with all three teams tied on 13 points in the relegation places.

Diego Castro scored during injury-time for Sporting Gijon, which saw its winless run stretch to 11 games despite a 1-1 draw at Racing Santander.

Sporting coach Manuel Preciado remained winless at El Sardinero stadium, but his team erased Gregory Arnolin's own-goal in the 30th to move off the foot of the table.

Osasuna and Getafe played to a 0-0 draw while Mallorca made up for its midweek Copa del Rey exit at the hands of Almeria with a 4-1 victory.

Mallorca was the better team from Ivan Ramis' 12th-minute opener, with Mallorca striker Victor Casadesus making it 2-0 before the break.

While Albert Crusat pulled one back for Almeria in the 66th, Pierre Webo returned the hosts' two-goal advantage a minute later against the run of play. Michael Pereira added a fourth for Mallorca with two minutes to play.

Getafe joined Atletico Madrid in sixth place, while Osasuna is winless in six rounds.

Real Madrid plays Villarreal later Sunday, when Valencia and Levante met in a city derby.