Madrid - Spanish leaders Real Madrid lost 1-0 away to lowly Deportivo Coruna on Saturday on an own goal from defender Pepe. Their sixth league defeat leaves Real with 62 points from 28 games and gives Barcelona the chance to reduce their lead to five points if they win away to Almeria on Sunday.
Real turned in their dullest display of the season, creating only one clear chance all match. Deportivo put out a cautious 5-4-1 formation and a 0-0 draw seemed on the cards.
In the 57th minute, though, Brazilian full-back Filipe Luis centred from the left and Pepe - the most expensive defender in world football - clumsily turned the ball into his own net.
Wesley Sneijder came close to equalizing for Real at the end, but the whites deservedly left empty-handed. They have not won in Riazor since 1991 and have lost on their last five visits.
The morale-boosting win takes Deportivo up to 12th place with 34 points.
Meanwhile, the clash between relegation strugglers Betis and Athletic Bilbao was abandoned after Bilbao keeper Armando was hit by a bottle in the 71st minute.
Armando was stretchered off but, fortunately, does not appear to have suffered serious injury.
Bilbao were winning 2-1 at the time, with the crowd angry about a dubious penalty given to the visitors in the 67th minute, transformed by David Lopez.
Bilbao will probably be given the three points, which will keep them well above the relegation zone.
Betis, in contrast, are in big trouble now. They are fourth from bottom with 32 points, and facing a stadium closure.
Their Ruiz de Lopera stadium was closed last season after a similar bottle-throwing incident in a King's Cup match against crosstown rivals Sevilla.
Saturday's other early game was a 4-2 win for Recreativo Huelva over troubled Murcia, with two classy goals from Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
The handsome win takes Huelva up to joint fourth from bottom, level on 32 points with Betis.
Saturday's late game is between crisis club Valencia and sixth-placed Sevilla.
