Jorge Vargas of Empoli challenges Lazio’s Stefano Fiore (left) during their Serie A match in Rome on Saturday. (Reuters)

Madrid: Ten-man Athletic Bilbao held on to earn a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad in a typically intense Basque derby on Saturday, but missed their chance to move up into fourth place in the Primera Liga.

Bilbao took the lead when midfielder Francisco Yeste hooked in on 14 minutes, before Turkish forward Nihat Kahveci levelled just before the break. Carlos Gurpegi was then sent off for Bilbao early in the second half.

The result means that Bilbao remain fifth in the table, level on points with Barcelona, while neighbours Sociedad drop to 11th.

Earlier on Saturday, Sevilla striker Julio Baptista scored a hattrick, including two penalties, to earn his team a 3-1 win at basement side Murcia in a match that saw a player from each side sent off.

The match was effectively over inside the first five minutes as Baptista scored his first spot kick after he was adjudged to have been fouled in the area and a minute later Murcia were reduced to ten men when Argentine striker Juan Eduardo Esnaider was given a red card for saying something to the referee.

The defeat left John Toshack’s side rooted to the foot of the table with 16 points from 24 matches, while Sevilla move well clear of the danger zone into 10th place.

French Ligue 1 leaders Monaco slumped to their first home defeat of the season on Saturday, losing 0-1 to Lille.

A blunder by Italian goalkeeper Flavio Roma helped Matt Moussilou score a shock winner in the 79th minute.

Paris St Germain moved into second with a 1-0 win at lowly Toulouse, giving them 46 points to Monaco’s 51.

Monaco dominated throughout but lacked their usual brilliance and flair, the absence of injured playmaker Ludovic Giuly proving costly.

To add to the principality team’s woes, they lost another key player in international defender Sebastien Squillaci, who left the pitch early on a stretcher.

PSG’s win came courtesy of a 28th-minute goal by Serb Danijel Ljuboja, hired from Strasbourg during the winter transfer window. The Parisians are now unbeaten in 12 games.

Sochaux and Olympique Marseille, both held to draws by Girondins Bordeaux and Le Mans respectively, lost a little ground in the title chase.

Le Mans’ coach Thierry Goudet resigned on Monday after a bad run of results and his successor, Swiss Daniel Jeandupeux, started with a goalless draw against sixth-placed Marseille.

Montpellier, languishing like Le Mans in the bottom three, also took on a new coach in former Ivory Coast manager Robert Nouzaret, but his new charges were beaten 0-1 at home by Metz. Montpellier have claimed one point in their last ten league games.

Lazio run continues

In Serie A action, Lazio recorded their third win in seven days to climb to fourth place with a 3-0 win over struggling Empoli on Saturday.

Having beaten Parma 3-0 in the league last weekend and AC Milan 4-0 in the Italian Cup in midweek, Lazio wasted little time in breaking down Empoli’s defences at the Olympic Stadium.

Portuguese defender Fernando Couto opened the scoring in the fifth minute, heading Sinisa Mihajlovic’s cross into the net.

Empoli striker Antonio Di Natale nearly equalised when his shot flew narrowly wide but seconds before half time midfielder Luciano Zauri doubled Lazio’s lead, beating goalkeeper Daniele Balli at his near post.

Lazio’s dominance continued after the break with Couto and Claudio Lopez both going close before defender Jaap Stam sealed the points in the 71st minute with a deflected free kick.

Striker Jose Antonio Reyes scored twice to help Arsenal end Chelsea’s FA Cup hopes for the fourth successive year with a 2-1 victory in a feisty fifth-round tie on Sunday. Adrian Mutu put Chelsea ahead before halftime but Spaniard Reyes smashed in a spectacular equaliser, his first goal for the club, and grabbed the winner five minutes later to keep the Premier League leaders on course to win the Cup for the third year in a row.

“They gave us problems in the first half. In the second half, we pushed up more,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “Our team play was good, our passing was good and we were mentally strong. The players wanted to win.”

First division Sheffield United beat Colchester of division two 1-0, striker Paul Peschisolido heading the winner for last season's semi-finalists after 61 minutes. (Reuters)