Levante have taken outright possession of the Spanish first division lead for the first time in their 102-year history with a 3-0 win at Villarreal.
Levante just avoided relegation last season but now they are in the unlikely position of looking down on Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga with 20 points, thanks to a six-match winning streak which began with a win over Real.
A last-minute Roberto Soldado goal earned Valencia a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao, but the result will not ease fans' discontent as the team have now won just once in seven games.
A Radamel Falcao penalty gave Atletico Madrid their first goal in four games but their disappointing run continued as they could only draw 1-1 with Mallorca.
On Sunday, Lionel Messi missed a late penalty as Barcelona could only draw 0-0 with nine-man Sevilla.
