Levante's unexpected stay at the top of the Spanish league standings came to an abrupt end Sunday as the unheralded club was brought back to earth with a 2-0 loss at 10-man Osasuna.
The surprise pacesetter's first defeat of the season left it two points behind leader Real Madrid and one point behind defending champion Barcelona after 10 games.
Levante, which has the smallest budget in Spain's first division, had spent the past two rounds atop the table for the first time in the club's 102-year history.
But Alvaro Cejudo and Juan ''Nino'' Martinez scored in the first half, and Osasuna held firm after Cejudo was sent off with his second yellow card in the 59th.
''When you win, it's difficult to believe that you are ever going to lose,'' Levante's first-year coach Juan Ignacio Martinez said. ''It is true that we were on a good run, but we knew that we were facing a tough game.''
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 at Sporting Gijon, while Racing Santander edged Real Betis 1-0 for its first win of the season.
Levante started strongly with striker Arouna Kone drawing a save from Osasuna goalkeeper Andres Fernandez in the ninth and coming close with a header five minutes later.
The visitors continued to attack but Osasuna almost went ahead in the 17th when Cejudo used his pace to go down the right side, only for Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua to get enough of his strike to send it wide.
Osasuna's pressure began to keep Levante in its half and soon paid off with a pair of goals before halftime.
Cejudo broke through in the 40th when he skirted across the edge of the area before unleashing a low shot that caught Munua out of position after taking a deflection off a defender.
Nino then doubled the hosts' advantage four minutes later when he directed in a loose ball that the Levante defense failed to clear from its area.
''The two goals boosted us and made them play in a way they're not accustomed to,'' Osasuna coach Jose Mendilibar said, refering to Levante having to abandon its normal counterattacking style.
Levante added striker Carlos Aranda to try to press its numerical advantage after Cejudo was sent off for a tackle on Jose Barkero. Cejudo had already received a yellow card for removing his shirt in his goal celebration.
Ruben Suarez, who hit a winning free kick in added time on Sunday, grazed the side netting with a bending free kick in the 67th, but Osasuna packed its area to remained undefeated at Reyno de Navarra stadium this season.
Martinez said he was proud of this team's effort in the loss.
''The team was a little down going into halftime 2-0,'' he said. ''It is true that the rival played a man down, but our second half was intense and we practically dominated. We just lacked the final touch.''
At El Molinon stadium, Bilbao went in front in the 62nd when Gaizka Toquero flicked on a corner for forward Markel Susaeta to redirect at the far post, but substitute Mate Bilic kept Sporting undefeated in three games when he equalized in the 71st.
Marcelo Bielsa' Bilbao remained undefeated in six Spanish league games.
Christian Stuani's 62nd-minute penalty kick proved enough for Racing to deal Betis its six straight loss after it had begun the season with four wins.
Stuani had just come on as a substitute when he was fouled in the area by defender Jose Isidoro, and the Uruguayan striker stroked the resulting spot kick into the top right corner for the win.
Atletico Madrid looks to break a five-game winless streak against Zaragoza later before Malaga hosts Espanyol.
Real Madrid edged Real Sociedad 1-0 to provisionally move top of the table on Saturday, while Barcelona remained one point behind after thrashing Mallorca 5-0 thanks to Lionel Messi's hat trick.
Also, Valencia beat Getafe 3-1 and Villarreal downed Rayo Vallecano 2-0.
Sevilla tries to remain undefeated as it hosts Granada on Monday.
