La Liga's top three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid all won this weekend, while the race for fourth swung in Valencia's direction following a 3-1 win over Sevilla at the Mestalla.
Real Madrid opened week 20's action with a trip to Cordoba, but they needed a late Gareth Bale penalty to secure all three points in a match that saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent off.
Barcelona were next up and they continued their stunning run of form with a 6-0 win at Elche, before Atletico Madrid beat capital rivals Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at the Calderon.
Real Sociedad picked up a much-needed three points on Saturday evening with a 1-0 home win over Eibar, before Villarreal followed suit at home to Levante.
Sunday's first match pit Deportivo La Coruna against Granada at the Riazor, with the two strugglers sharing the points in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, ended their four-game losing run with a 1-1 draw at home to Malaga.
Espanyol's strong recent form continued in the penultimate match on Sunday as they beat Almeria 3-0 in Barcelona, before Valencia moved above Sevilla into fourth position with victory in what was a highly entertaining match.
The week's action concluded on Monday evening as Getafe ended their nine-game winless run with a 2-1 victory at home to out-of-form Celta Vigo.
Here, Sports Mole picks out its 11 star performers from another pulsating weekend of football in Spain's top flight.
Diego Alves (Valencia)
Sevilla were awarded two penalties in the latter stages of the first period against Valencia – Carlos Bacca scored the first, but the Colombian saw his second saved by Diego Alves. The save proved a turning point in the match, with Valencia holding their 2-1 lead at the break before scoring a third in the second half, where Alves made a host of smart saves.
Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
Gerard Pique struggled to find his best form in the early part of the campaign, but the centre-back has been very impressive in recent months. The Spaniard showed excellent composure to score Barca's first in their 6-0 win over Elche on Saturday, while he did not put a foot wrong at the heart of the back four.
Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal)
With Gabriel Paulista heading for Arsenal, Mateo Musacchio, who was so impressive last season, should regain his spot in the Villarreal XI. Injuries troubled the defender in the early part of the campaign, but he has returned to fitness in recent weeks. The 24-year-old put in a really strong performance in his side's 1-0 win over Levante on Saturday.
Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao)
With interest in Aymeric Laporte growing by the minute, his hopes of securing a big move were improved at the weekend following his display against Malaga. Bilbao could not hold on for all three points, but the French-born defender had an excellent match at the heart of the back four. Will the 20-year-old be on the move before the end of the month?
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
The Frenchman took his tally to 10 league goals for the season with another brace in Atletico's 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend. Both of Antoine Griezmann's strikes came in the first period, with the double allowing the home side to move 2-0 ahead. Rayo just could not live with the pace and guile of the attacker in the final third.
Dani Parejo (Valencia)
Valencia have added a host of new midfielders in recent seasons, but Dani Parejo remains the main man at the Mestalla. The club's skipper showed his worth with a double in Sunday's vital 3-1 win over Sevilla. The Spaniard's first was an excellent penalty, before he finished off a counter to send Los Che into a two-goal lead.
Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad)
David Moyes has been a success since arriving at Real Sociedad, but the Scot really needed a win entering this weekend's home game against Eibar. That was indeed the case as Xabi Prieto struck 10 minutes into the second period for what was the only goal of the match. The midfielder remained a constant danger whenever he broke into the final third.
Sergio Garcia (Espanyol)
Sergio Garcia is not really a midfielder, more of a striker, but he had to be in this team. The Spaniard was just excellent as Espanyol beat Almeria 3-0 at the weekend. He watched fellow forwards Christian Stuani and Felipe Caicedo score the goals, but Garcia provided two assists and caused utter havoc in the final third of the field.
Neymar (Barcelona)
The Brazilian made it 19 goals in 24 games for Barcelona this season with a double and an assist in his side's 6-0 win at Elche. The 22-year-old only won a penalty early in the second period, which Lionel Messi dispatched in normal fashion. Elche will not be the last team to struggle against the Brazilian when he is in this type of form.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Neymar was excellent in Barca's 6-0 win over Elche, but Messi was something else. The Argentine also scored twice, while he set up Neymar for both of the Brazilian's goals. It would be fair to say that Messi has had his problems – as have Barcelona – this season, but the attacker looks to be returning to his best form.
Christian Stuani (Espanyol)
Espanyol took control of their La Liga clash with Almeria at the weekend in the latter stages of the first period, when they scored twice in the space of three minutes. Both of those goals came from Stuani, who caused a host of problems in the final third. Espanyol have three forwards all in super form at this stage of the season.
