Champions Manchester United delivered a superb display to win 3-1 at title rivals Arsenal in the English Premier League on Sunday.
AS Roma moved level on points with stuttering AC Milan in second spot in Italy's Serie A after a 2-1 win over bottom side Siena.
ENGLAND
Manchester United, seeking an unprecedented fourth successive English league title, swept to an important victory with an own goal and brilliant counter-attacking scores by Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-sung as Arsenal started well but faded and defended poorly.
The win took United to within a point of leaders Chelsea who needed a late header by captain John Terry for a 2-1 victory at Burnley.
Chelsea have a game in hand on their two title rivals, which they play against Hull City in midweek, before hosting Arsenal next Sunday.
ITALY
AS Roma striker Stefano Okaka netted a superb backheel two minutes from time to give Claudio Ranieri's in-form team victory over Siena.
Milan could only draw 1-1 at home with struggling Livorno, meaning leaders Inter Milan, whose game at Parma was postponed because of snow, hold an eight-point advantage.
Faltering Juventus drew 1-1 with Lazio in Alberto Zaccheroni's first game in charge since replacing the sacked Ciro Ferrara.
SPAIN
Pedro fired leaders Barcelona to a 1-0 win at Sporting Gijon while second-placed Real Madrid beat Deportivo Coruna 3-1 thanks to two goals from Karim Benzema.
Barca and Real pulled away at the top after third-placed Valencia's 2-1 defeat at Sevilla, who climbed to fourth and into the Champions League qualification places. Undefeated Barca have 52 points from 20 matches, Real have 47, Valencia 39 and Sevilla 36.
Villarreal went down 2-0 at home to Osasuna, a defeat that cost coach Ernesto Valverde his job.
FRANCE
Second-placed Montpellier extended their surprise Ligue 1 run of form by taming Olympique Marseille 2-0 to close the gap on leaders Girondins Bordeaux to six points.
Montpellier, back in the top flight this season after a long spell in the second division, move on 42 points from 22 games, six behind champions Bordeaux who looked a pale shadow of their best in a goalless home draw against lowly Boulogne.
Third-placed Lille, who had lost their last three matches in all competitions, enjoyed a 1-0 win over Racing Lens in a northern derby.
Seven-times champions Olympique Lyon recovered from a goal down to beat 10-man Paris St Germain 2-1 and keep alive their hopes of playing in Europe next season, moving up to fourth, nine points off the pace.
GERMANY
Bayer Leverkusen maintained their two-point lead at the top of the table, scoring three goals in four minutes to ease past Freiburg 3-1.
Stefan Kiessling, the league's top scorer, grabbed his 13th goal before Eren Derdiyok and Sami Hyypia added two more to put the game beyond the visitors in the first half.
Bayern Munich extended their winning streak to nine matches in all competitions with a 3-0 win over Mainz that lifted them to 42 points from 20 matches.
Schalke 04 remained in the hunt in third place, a further point adrift, following their 2-0 victory over Hoffenheim with striker Kevin Kuranyi scoring his 11th goal of the season.
NETHERLANDS
Leaders PSV Eindhoven were held to a 0-0 draw at Vitesse Arnhem as Twente Enschede joined them level on 52 points after a 2-0 home win over Roda JC Kerkrade courtesy of goals from Kenneth Perez and Costa Rican Bryan Ruiz.
PSV stay top on goal difference from Twente. Third-placed Ajax have 43 points after a 1-1 draw at fierce rivals Feyenoord who are fourth on 39.
PORTUGAL
Braga stayed top with a 1-0 home win over Sporting thanks to midfielder Paulo Cesar's goal on 31 minutes after he beat two Sporting players to run into the box and finish with a right-footed drive.
Benfica went level on 42 points with Braga by beating Guimaraes 3-1. Pablo Aimar opened the scoring on 17 minutes but Nuno Assis levelled in the 32nd minute. Midfielder Carlos Martins scored two classy goals in the second half to net Benfica the three points.
GREECE
Matt Derbyshire scored for Olympiakos as the Greek champions defeated Panionios 1-0 to close the gap on Super League leaders Panathinaikos who were held to a 1-1 draw by AEK in the Athens derby.
Former Blackburn Rovers striker Derbyshire has missed most of the season due to hernia trouble but the 23-year-old showed great opportunism in heading home Raul Bravo's deflected cross after seven minutes for his first goal of the season.
The win allowed Bozidar Bandovic's team to move on to 43 points, six behind Panathinaikos.
SCOTLAND
Rangers remained 10 points clear in the SPL after a 3-0 home victory over bottom side Falkirk.
Steven Davis, John Fleck and Steven Whittaker were on target at Ibrox as Rangers moved to 54 points.
Second-placed Celtic, with a game in hand, needed an 67th-minute goal by substitute Morten Rasmussen three minutes after he entered the fray for their scrappy success.
