The top four in La Liga all recorded victories this weekend, with Barcelona winning late at Valencia to keep pace with Real Madrid at the summit.
Leaders Real Madrid recorded a 2-1 win at in-form Malaga, before Atletico Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 in the early start on Sunday.
Sevilla, meanwhile, thumped Granada 5-1 to move into the top four.
Week 13's action opened on Friday, with David Moyes leading his Real Sociedad side to a 3-0 win over a disappointing Elche outfit.
Athletic Bilbao opened Saturday's action with a 2-1 win over Getafe, before Espanyol were victorious by the same scoreline against Levante.
Following Real Madrid's win at Malaga, Eibar recorded a 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo, who have dropped to eighth position in the table.
Atletico and Sevilla both picked up wins in Sunday's first two fixtures, before Villarreal secured all three points with a 2-0 victory at winless Cordoba, who remain bottom of the table.
Sergio Busquets scored four minutes into stoppage time in Sunday's final match to help Barcelona beat Valencia, who were the better side for long spells of that contest.
The action concluded on Monday evening, with Rayo Vallecano securing their spot in the top half of the table with a 1-0 win at Almeria.
Here, Sports Mole picks out its 11 star performers from another pulsating weekend of La Liga action.
Claudio Bravo (Barcelona)
Bravo was a key contributor to his side's 1-0 win over Valencia on Sunday. The Chilean goalkeeper made two outstanding saves – denying Alvaro Negredo and then Sofiane Feghouli in the second period. It was comfortably the stopper's best performance in a Barcelona shirt since joining in the summer.
Carlos Martinez (Real Sociedad)
Carlos Vela might have scored a hat-trick in Sociedad's 3-0 win over Elche on Friday, but Martinez was also in fine form at the Anoeta. The right-back provided two assists for the Mexican striker, while he was also calm and composed in defensive areas.
Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid)
With Miranda still on the sidelines, Gimenez was given the chance to start alongside Diego Godin for Atletico on Sunday. The 19-year-old is highly rated at the Spanish champions and further enhanced his reputation with a powerful display in the 2-0 win over Deportivo.
Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia)
Otamendi was involved in an unsavoury incident with Neymar in the first period of Valencia's clash with Barca, but that took nothing away from his overall performance. The Argentine dealt with the threat of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar during an accomplished display.
Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao)
San Jose opened the scoring as Bilbao recorded a 2-1 win over Getafe on Saturday. The 25-year-old has not been a regular starter over the last 12 months, but has done his chances of a more permanent selection no harm at all. The Spaniard was also solid in defensive areas.
Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid)
With Gabi suspended, Saul was given the nod in midfield for Atletico on Sunday. The 19-year-old certainly did not disappoint – hitting the first in his side's 2-0 win over Deportivo. The teenager was always involved in the final third and was a key contributor to the victory.
Ever Banega (Sevilla)
The Argentine's talent has never been called into question, but matters off the field have harmed his development. The midfielder might have found a home at Sevilla, however, and he continued his strong form with his side's second in their 5-1 win over Granada at the weekend.
Gael Kakuta (Rayo Vallecano)
Kakuta proved the difference on Monday evening as Rayo secured all three points at Almeria. The Frenchman was a livewire throughout the contest and struck after 86 minutes to secure victory for the visitors. The capital outfit are said to be keen to secure a permanent deal for the Chelsea midfielder.
Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad)
Vela made it five league goals for the season with a hat-trick in Sociedad's 3-0 win over Elche on Friday. The Basque outfit have struggled thus far this season, but the Mexican is one player that can change their fortunes. Elche just could not deal with the pace and movement of the forward.
Carlos Bacca (Sevilla)
The Colombian scored his sixth and seventh league goals of the season on Sunday as Sevilla recorded a thumping 5-1 win against Granada. The 28-year-old was sensational during his first season in Spain and has continued that superb form into the new campaign.
Luciano Vietto (Villarreal)
The 20-year-old continued his impressive start to the campaign with Villarreal's first in their 2-0 win over Cordoba. The Argentine, who joined the Yellow Submarine from Racing Club in the summer, caused all sorts of problems with his clever movement during the La Liga clash.
Matt Law
