AFP - Spanish international striker David Villa scored twice to keep Valencia on course for a Champions League place as they beat Getafe 2-1 on Monday despite being reduced to ten men.

Valencia - who are in third place in the table eight points clear of fifth placed Deportivo La Coruna - recorded their fourth successive home victory and deserved the three points despite never being at their best.

Alejandro Dominguez twice went close to giving Valencia the lead before Villa struck after 39 minutes.

Villa appeared to have wrapped the game up with his second after the re-start to move to the top of the goalscoring charts with 17 for the season.

However, the game took a twist with the sending off of defender Alexis Ruano for a second yellow card although there looked to be little if any contact.

Manu Del Moral pulled a goal back for Getafe but for all their pressing they were unable to get the equaliser.

On Sunday Real Madrid showed their championship credentials with a 6-2 destruction of Villarreal that put them back on the shoulders of Barcelona at the top of the table.

A Cristiano Ronaldo opener was followed by braces from Kaka - one of them a penalty - and Gonzalo Higuain before Xabi Alonso rounded off the scoring with a penalty to give Real coach Manuel Pellegrini victory over the side he left last summer and leaves his side two points adrift of Barca.

Despite missing several key players, Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Racing Santander on Saturday.

Andres Iniesta scored the opener and then Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez added to the lead with free-kicks before substitute Thiago Alcantara made the win more emphatic with a deflected goal.

Sevilla hold the fourth Champions League spot after they condemned Mallorca to their first home defeat of the season as they ran out 3-1 winners also on Saturday.