Real lose ground after Almeria claim draw

(CNN) -- Spanish champions Real Madrid lost ground on La Liga leaders Barcelona after dropping two points in a 1-1 draw at Almeria on Sunday.

Argentine Pablo Piatti equalised with nine minutes left to deny Real victory after captain Raul Gonzalez had put them ahead shortly before half-time with his fifth goal of the season.

Real now sit third two points behind Barcelona -- who crushed Malaga 4-1 on Saturday to record their seventh successive league win.

Valencia are level on 20 points with Real, while Villarreal are a point ahead in second after a 4-1 rout of Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Real were without Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, struggling with a knee injury, and Spanish international Ruben de la Red, 23, who was still in shock after collapsing on the pitch during Real's midweek cup defeat.

Sergio Ramos was back in the starting line-up after making up with coach Bernd Schuster who dropped him last weekend for critical comments he made in a newspaper interview.

Under Unai Emery, now coach at Valencia, Almeria had beaten Real 2-0 in the corresponding fixture last season so Real knew what to expect.

Raul produced a great header on 38 minutes from a Gonzalo Higuain cross to put the visitors ahead but Piatti levelled after defensive errors from Christoph Metzelder and Ramos.

Earlier, Sevilla were left to rue the dismissal of Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano as the 10-men visitors surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Valladolid, to crash to a second successive league defeat.

Sevilla looked to be cruising, holding a 2-0 lead after 24 minutes following goals from Renato and Jesus Navas but Fabiano, returning after an injury lay-off, was dismissed for two bookable offences just after the hour mark.

It proved the turning point in the match as Valladolid used the extra man to pull level and Uruguayan Nestor Cannobio scored his second goal of the game on 63 minutes to seal a comeback win.

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez was furious about the dismissal of Fabiano -- his only fit striker at the moment. "I know refereeing is difficult but the first yellow card was absurd and I don't know what happened with the second caution," said Jimenez.

"How can the referee think Luis Fabiano is wasting time in the 23rd minute while we are winning 2-0? No-one wastes time in the 23rd minute."

Sevilla are now five points behind league leaders Barcelona in fifth.