MADRID (AFP) - Atletico Madrid, who started the weekend in fourth place and dreaming of the Champions League, were held to a surprise 0-0 draw by bottom club Gimnastic Tarragona.

Atletico goalkeeper Leo Franco was arguably the hero of the night while the home side´s strikers had plenty of opportunities but couldn´t find the back of the net.

Spanish international striker Fernando Torres nearly put Atletico ahead twice in the first 10 minutes.

The visitors´ Anibal Matellan had a header skim past the crossbar midway through the first half as Gimnastic defied the pundits who expected them to be thrashed, with Juan Diaz a constant threat down the left wing.

The second half saw Atletico step up the pressure and Kun Aguero went close twice but the hosts could not find their way through Gimnastic´s normally porous defence, which kept a clean sheet for just the third time this season.

To add to Atletico´s frustration, midfielder Gabi Fernandez was sent off three minutes from time after receiving his second yellow card.

Gimnastic remain bottom of the table despite the useful away point but their performance will give them some hope that they may yet avoid relegation.

Real Sociedad, who are just one place above Gimnastic, will harbour similar ambitions after their 2-1 win over Osasuna.

The San Sebastian side took the lead thanks to a Xavi Prieto penalty after 19 minutes after the midfielder himself was adjudged to have been fouled by Osasuna defender Enrique Corrales.

Osasuna immediately fought back but Sociedad´s Chilean keeper Claudio Bravo pulled off two great saves to thwart Roberto Soldado.

Bravo couldn´t stop Raul Garcia finding the net with his left foot after 56 minutes, with Soldado this time providing the service, but Mikel Aranburu got the winner for Sociedad barely one minute from the whistle.

Sevilla, Barcelona and Real Madrid, the top three teams, all face difficult away trips this weekend following the two-week holiday break.

League leaders Sevilla travel to fifth-placed Real Zaragoza later on Saturday looking to preserve their three point lead over Barcelona, although the reigning champions have a match in hand.

Barca face Getafe on Sunday without suspended superstars Deco and Ronaldinho while their hosts have defender David Cortes and midfielder Francisco Casquero also missing due to one-match bans.

Third-placed Real Madrid, who are two points behind Barca, go north to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday where they have not won at the Galician club for 14 years.

However, Real coach Fabio Capello believes his men will not be worried by their sorry history.

"We are losing the league at home because we are throwing away important points there. We have lost 18 points at home," reflected Capello on Saturday.

"I hope that everybody has their head focussed on Coruna. It´s going to be a difficult game. Real have not won there for a long time."

Capello confirmed that he expects to name two of his winter signings, the Brazilian winger Marcelo and Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago, in his squad although both men are likely to start on the bench.

Former England captain David Beckham could also be back on the bench, where he has spent the majority of his 12 league games this season.

Real´s Brazilian left back Roberto Carlos is out against Deportivo after suffering a badly bruised right thigh in a training game on Thursday.