Real Madrid held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw on Saturday in the Primera Liga, and edged up to fourth place, but the bitter derby was more notable for what was happened beyond the field of play.
The match had to be suspended midway through the second half when Real playmaker Luis Figo - on Barcelona's books until his world record transfer in July 2000 had various objects - including a whisky bottle and a pig's head - thrown at him while he was trying to take corners.
Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo decided to send both teams to the dressing-room for 10 minutes while things calmed down.
Real's Claude Makelele will miss tomorrow's Champions League match against AC Milan after spraining his ankle following a brutal tackle by Barcelona's Thiago Motta.
Real Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano described the incidents as unworthy of Spanish football and said that his side's goalkeeper Iker Casillas had also had items thrown at him.
Barcelona president Joan Gaspart claimed that Figo had provoked the fans by waiting too long to take his corners.
"We're not the villains here," Gaspart said. "I don't like it when people come to our house and provoke us." That suggestion was laughed off by Figo, who said Gaspart might have been better to come down and take the corners himself.
Atletico Madrid are now unbeaten in their last six games after their 1-0 victory over Real Betis yesterday and climb to fifth, their highest position of the season. Fernando Torres, still only 18, headed the only goal of a frantic game after 14 minutes.
Lazio put aside their financial difficulties and moved up to third in Serie A with a convincing 4-0 win over Modena last night as former Chievo striker Bernardo Corradi scored twice for Roberto Mancini's side.
AC Milan, who beat third-placed Inter 1-0 in Saturday's Milan derby, lead with 25 points and are ahead of Juventus on goal difference after the champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Bologna.
Nice stay top of the French first division despite being held by bottom club Rennes on Saturday as champions Olympique Lyon failed to take advantage when they suffered their first defeat since September to Lille.
RC Strasbourg moved up to fifth in the standings yesterday when Christian Bassila's first-half goal gave the Alsace side a 1-0 win over Monaco.
In the German first division, 1860 Munich were lucky to escape with a 2-2 draw from their southern German derby with Nuremberg.
And little Cottbus fought bravely against Hamburg and were rewarded when Polish striker Andrzej Juskowiak scored in stoppage-time to cancel out Argentine Rodolfo Cardoso's superb volley.
