Vigo, Spain – Lionel Messi made more La Liga history on Saturday with a goal in his 19th consecutive match, but it wasn't enough to prevent Barcelona from being held to a 2-2 draw by relegation-battling Celta Vigo.
Messi's goal in the 73rd minute put Barca up 2-1, and it meant that he is the first player to score a goal against every other team in the league in consecutive matches.
Celta entered the contest having lost its last three games, and things didn't figure to get any better against the runaway leaders.
However, Nacho Insa's goal in the 38th minute gave the hosts a surprising lead before Cristian Tello equalized shortly before the break for the visitors.
Tello played provider with 17 minutes left to put Barca into the lead as he pulled the ball back for Messi to hammer past goalkeeper Javi Varas, seemingly sending Barca on its way to another win.
But Borja Oubina had other ideas in the 88th minute and he got on the other end of a cross from Fabian Orellana to head a looping ball over goalkeeper Jose Pinto, snatching a valuable point for Celta.
The result keeps Celta three points from safety, while Barca remains 13 points clear of second-place Real Madrid.
Real Zaragoza 1, Real Madrid 1
Aragon, Spain - Real Madrid failed to close the gap on Barcelona on Saturday after being held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Real Zaragoza.
Barca's 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo opened the door for Real to edge a bit closer to the Catalan side with three points at Zaragoza. But after falling behind to a sixth-minute goal from Rodri, Madrid's lone reply came from the Cristiano Ronaldo in the 38th minute.
Madrid had won its previous six La Liga matches, but Rodri fired the home side in front after being sent in on goal by Antonio Apono.
Ronaldo took advantage of some poor defending to notch his 28th goal of the campaign before halftime, but the best chance for either side after the break fell to Marcelo, who beat goalkeeper Roberto Gago but saw his effort come back off the post.
Zaragoza stays three points clear of the relegation places with the victory.
Malaga 3, Rayo Vallecano 1
Madrid, Spain - Malaga snapped a four-game winless streak by scoring twice in the second half of a 3-1 win at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, moving the club into the top four.
Weligton's first-half goal for Malaga was canceled out by a penalty kick from Rayo's Piti, leaving the two sides level at 1-1 heading into halftime.
But the second 45 minutes belonged to Malaga as Manuel Pellegrini's side took the lead in the 55th minute through Julio Baptista, who netted his first goal of the season by nodding home a corner kick from Pedro Morales.
Morales then secured the win for his side by finding the net himself a few minutes from time with a nice individual effort.
Levante 1, Sevilla 0
Valencia, Spain - Ruben Garcia's first-half goal was enough to help Levante snap a seven-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Sevilla in a battle of mid-table sides at the Ciudad de Valencia.
Garcia got Levante off the mark five minutes before halftime when he picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and hammered a low shot inside the right post, leaving Sevilla goalkeeper Beto with little chance.
The Sevilla netminder kept his team within a goal thanks to some nice work in the second half, but the best chance the visitors had at equalizing came from a close-range shot by Jesus Navas, whose effort was saved by the feet of Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.
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