Ernesto Chevanton's 78th-minute goal gave Sevilla a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Saturday and moved it into sole possession of second place in the Spanish league.

David Beckham gave Madrid the lead in the 14th with a 25-yard free kick before Frederic Kanoute tied it four minutes later with his league-tying 11th goal of the campaign.

Earlier, FC Barcelona posted a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad to secure the top spot in the standings before it departs for the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.

Ronaldinho scored his 11th league goal of the season in the 61st to put the Spanish and European champions atop of the league with 33 points. Sevilla is second with 31 and Madrid is third with 29.

Sevilla hasn't lost at home in 10 months and improved to 7-0 at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium this season.

David Beckham started for Madrid for only the eighth time in 22 games after playing well on his recall for the 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.

The Englishman put Madrid in sight of its sixth road win in seven games in the 13th when his right-footed free kick went over outstretched goalkeeper Andres Palop.

Kanoute collected fellow striker Luis Fabiano's rebound off the crossbar and struck a low, left-footed shot past goalie Iker Casillas four minutes later to tie it 1-1.

Chevanton scored his overhead winner inside the penalty area to move the UEFA Cup champions past Madrid and into second place.

The 19th-place Real Sociedad, winless this season, has only won three league games at Camp Nou stadium since 1928.

Barcelona, which has lost just one league game this season, had two goals disallowed _ Eidur Gudjohnsen in the 19th and Ludovic Giuly four minutes later.

Ronaldinho almost scored in the 32nd from an overhead shot for the second straight league game, but it went wide. He scored his 11th _ and league-leading _ goal with a left-footed volley on a pass by Giuly.

Barcelona defender Silvinho was sent off in the 85th after picking up a second yellow card.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdez tipped a header from Gaizka Garitano over the bar in the 4th minute of injury time.

On Sunday, Atletico Madrid hosts Espanyol, Getafe plays Betis, last-place Gimnastic Tarragona faces 16th-placed Levante, Celta Vigo takes on Villarreal, 12th-place Mallorca travels to Osasuna, Racing Santander meets Zaragoza, and relegation-threatened Athletic Bilbao hosts Recreativo Huelva.

Barcelona's next match is in Japan for the Club World Championship on Thursday. It opens at Yokohama, Japan, with a semifinal against the winner of Mexico's Club America, representing CONCACAF, and South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors representing the Asian confederation.