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Match round-up - First Division, Day 16

Valladolid moved out of the relegation zone after a 3-0 win over Celta on a freezing and foggy Monday night at the Zorrilla stadium. Juan Ignacio Martínez's side had not won at home since the beginning of September, and although Javi Guerra got the ball in the net following a corner midway through the first half, the strike was ruled out for a previous foul. Diego Mariño was called in to action after that to save from Nolito and Charles, but ten minutes in to the second half the Brazilian striker was sent off after being shown a second yellow card for charging down a goalkeeper clearance. Five minutes later Javi Guerra picked up a cross from Ebert to open the scoring, and soon afterwards he got on the end of Peña's cross to loop a header over Yoel for his second of the evening. Santi Mina tested Mariño again later on, but with four minutes to go Guerra completed his hat-trick after Oscar set him up, and the number nine was given a standing ovation when his coach took him off near the end. (16.12.13)

Atlético Madrid ended the weekend just a goal short of displacing Barcelona at the top of the table after beating Valencia 3-0 in the last game on Sunday. All the goals came in the second half after a fairly event-less first forty-five minutes, Diego Costa opening the scoring after cutting in from the left and firing in an angled shot which took a slight rebound off Víctor Ruíz. Four minutes later Raúl García struck home the second after Oriol Romeu could only deflect Juanfran's cross in to his path, and Costa missed a chance to make it three when Diego Alves saved his penalty after the striker was brought down by Ruíz inside the area. Not to be daunted though Costa converted a second penalty after he was pushed over by Barragán a few minutes later, his 17th of the season in the league taking him level with Cristiano Ronaldo in the goalscorers chart, and an excited Simeone urged his players on looking for that extra goal which would have taken them to the top of the pack. Another disappointing performance by Valencia though, and coach Miroslav Djukic's job is seriously under threat.

Athletic Bilbao stay in fourth place after they drew 1-1 at Sevilla, albeit they are still eight points behind Real Madrid and thirteen points adrift of the two leaders. The goals came early on, Alberto Moreno giving the locals the lead following a set-piece Vitolo corner, Bacca laying the ball across for the full back to make himself room to shoot in off the post. Just two minutes later however Toquero battled past Beto and Carriço to collect a sloppy headed pass from Fazio and roll the ball across the goal for Susaeta to score from close up, and it was back to square one. Both keepers had saves to make, Beto from a Muniain volley and Iraizoz from a Fazio header, and M'Bia got the ball in the net following a Reyes free kick only for his header to be ruled out for a borderline offside. With the first half coming to a close the visitors were awarded a penalty after Bacca cut out a high cross with his arm, but Beto guessed correctly and saved Susaeta's spot kick. And there the action just about dried up, both teams settling for a point as the second half gradually drifted to a close.

Real Sociedad consolidated sixth spot, now just four points behind their Basque rivals, after they thrashed bottom club Betis 5-1. Agirretxe put the locals ahead in the sixth minute with a lob over keeper Andersen, a belated first goal of the season for the striker. However new coach Juan Carlos Garrido saw Jorge Molina equalize after Vadillo set him up, and the striker came close to a second when his shot hit the post with keeper Bravo beaten. Real turned up the heat after the restart though with three goals in twelve minutes, Ansotegi heading in a Rubén Pardo corner, Griezmann firing a shot back in to the net after Vela crossed from the left, and Agirretxe sweeping a shot past the Danish keeper following another Pardo assist. And with five minutes to go Xabi Preito completed the scoring from a José Angel cross to make it four wins in a row in the league. A pity that they couldn't show this type of form in Europe.

Betis are now three points away from safety after Almería picked up a point in a 0-0 draw against Espanyol in Sunday's mid-day kick-off, Francisco's side climbing out of the relegation zone above Rayo Vallecano as a result. The visitors had the better chances early on, Esteban getting enough on Córdoba's shot for it to bounce up on to the crossbar, and then saving from Sergio García. With twenty minutes gone though Torje gave away a penalty on Suso following a corner, and Verza stepped up to fire home the spot kick. However referee Del Cerro Grande ordered a retake for encroachment which the midfielder fired over the bar, and a few minutes later Francisco got himself sent off for protesting after someone from the visiting dugout (probably Javier Aguirre) imitated the referee's whistle. Either side of half time Stuani and Lanzarote went close with a shot on the turn and a long free kick, but otherwise there were few chances, and both teams decided to settle for the draw. (15.12.13)

Barcelona beat fifth placed Villarreal 2-1 on Saturday evening to move three points clear at the top of the table pending Atlético's game on Sunday. Alex Song hit the upright before Neymar followed up his midweek hat-trick with the opening goal, converting a 30th minute penalty after Mario handled in the area. Sergio Asenjo did well to keep out Alexis when he got free on goal before the break, but just three minutes after the restart Musacchio headed the equalizer from a Trigueros corner. The introduction of Xavi settled the ship however, and Asenjo produced another good save from Fàbregas before the ex Arsenal midfielder combined with Alexis to set up Neymar for his second of the evening. After that Barça pushed forward looking for another goal to make sure of a 23rd successive home win in the league, but although Iniesta tested Asenjo again and Neymar fired a shot against the bar, the result was in doubt until the final whistle.

Barça are now five points clear of Real Madrid, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Osasuna in the first game of the day. Oriol Riera opened the scoring for the locals on the quarter hour mark with a header from a Marc Bertrán cross, and although Ronaldo went close a couple of times, Riera headed in a second goal after Diego López could only block a previous header from Damià. Things looked bad for Ancelotti's side when Sergio Ramos was sent off for a second bookable offence coming up to half time, but a couple of minutes later Isco got one back with a shot from the edge of the area. Both keepers had work to do after the break, but numbers were evened up when Gato Silva also got his marching orders with ten minutes to go, and from the resulting Isco free kick Pepe headed the ball past Andrés to save a point for his team.

Elsewhere Granada won 0-2 at Rayo Vallecano to leave Paco Jémez's side on the verge of the relegation spots. The early chances fell to the locals, Roberto saving a Gálvez free kick and Jonathan Viera firing a shot over the bar. El-Arabi missed a sitter though after Brahimi put him through, his belated shot hitting the post, and soon afterwards Fran Rico's wide free kick bounced past everyone in to the net. With half time approaching Nacho got himself sent off after picking up a second booking for a dive in the penalty area, but even so Rayo started well in the second half, Roberto having to keep out Larrivey and Bueno. Riki fired a shot wide though at the other end, and with two minutes to go he ran on to Brahimi's through ball and rounded the keeper before rolling the ball in to the net with more than a bit of fortune as Mojica came in for the tackle.

Málaga rounded off the evening with a 1-0 victory over Getafe, a scoreline which takes some of the pressure off much criticized coach Bernd Schuster. Rafa and Sergio Sánchez traded headers from corners at either end early on, and Antunes fired a free kick just wide before crossing in for Juanmi to fire a shot against the upright a few minutes later. Caballero did well to save from a Mosquera free kick just before the break, and Antunes and Eliseu saw their shots miss the target either side of half time. Juanmi missed another good chance when he shot wide from a couple of yards out after Moyà failed to hold on to Duda's long shot, but with a quarter of an hour to go substitute Santa Cruz headed in a long Duda free kick just a couple of minutes after coming on. A vital win for the Andalusians, and they move five points clear of the drop zone pending Sunday's games as a result. (14.12.13)

Levante came from a goal down to beat neighbours Elche 2-1 in this week's Friday night game. The Valencia based side had lost their last five games, and they went behind again when Sapunaru turned a shot past Keylor Navas after Botía headed across an Edu Albácar free kick. Fidel came close to a second when he shot wide a few minutes later, but another injury to Babá brought on Barral in his place, and the ex Real Madrid B and Sporting striker levelled the scores close to half time with a header from an El Zhar cross. After the interval Nikos brought a couple of good saves out of Toño, and Boakye missed the easiest of chances when free in front of goal following a corner. But with ten minutes to go Barral headed home his second of the evening from a Pedro Ríos centre to take his side three points clear of their rivals in the table. (13.12.13)