Oihan Sancet netted the equaliser for Bilbao in their 1-1 draw at Espanyol

Barcelona (AFP) - Athletic Bilbao missed out on the chance to close the gap on the top two in La Liga as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Espanyol on Sunday in a match in Cornella that was temporarily stopped because of racist chanting.

In the 16th minute, referee Cuadra Fernandez was forced to activate the anti-racism protocol for insults to Bilbao winger Inaki Williams.

The match was interrupted for three minutes and a message was communicated over the public address system for fans to stop shouting expletives. The referee warned that the next time the match would be stopped.

When the game restarted, Roberto Fernandez put Espanyol ahead in the 62nd minute but Oihan Sancet, who scored a hat-trick in the win over Girona last weekend, levelled 15 minutes later.

It was hardly a satisfying result for either side.

Bilbao had watched on on Saturday as leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Atletico Madrid were both held to draws.

Their own draw means they remain fourth, three points behind Barcelona, who host Rayo Vallecano on Monday and six behind Real.

Espanyol will rue the two dropped points but still climb out of the relegation zone. They are now 15th on 24 points, just one point ahead of 18th-placed Valencia, the first team in the relegation places.