Levante lose top spot after first defeat of season

Levante’s unexpected stay at the top of the Spanish league came to an abrupt end as the unheralded club were brought back to earth with a 2-0 loss at ten-man Osasuna.

The surprise pacesetters’ first defeat of the season left them two points behind leaders Real Madrid and one point behind defending champions Barcelona after ten games.

Levante, which has the smallest budget in La Liga, had spent the past two rounds atop the table for the first time in the club’s 102-year history. But Alvaro Cejudo and Juan “Nino” Martinez scored in the first half, and Osasuna held firm after Cejudo was sent off with his second yellow card in the 59th minute.

Earlier, Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 at Sporting Gijon as the Basque club extended its undefeated run to six Spanish league games.

In Italy, Antonio Di Natale scored his seventh goal as Udinese edged Palermo 1-0 to move back within a point of Serie A leaders Juventus, who won 2-1 at Inter Milan on Saturday.

Cesena, who are bottom of the league, fired manager Marco Giampaolo moments after a 2-0 loss at Parma left them winless and with just three points from nine matches.