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Match round-up - First Division, Day 6

Mid-week leaders Valencia drop two points behind Barcelona after they could only draw 1-1 at Real Sociedad on Sunday evening. The locals had the better chances early on, Diego Alves having to turn a couple of shots from Vela and Agirretxe for corners, although the Ches took the lead with a quarter of an hour gone, Carles Gil volleying a shot past Zubikarai after Alcácer headed back Rodrigo’s cross. Alves had to keep out Agirretxe again, and Gayà headed off the line from Iñigo following a corner, but in the following play Canales equalized with a long cross which bounced past everyone in to the net. Nuno made two changes at the break, and half time substitute Filipe Augusto went close a couple of times. But with the game coming to a close the Basque side almost won it, Mustafi having to head a Canales volley over the bar and Granero heading the resulting corner just wide of the post.

Further down the table Getafe climbed out of the drop zone after a 1-0 victory against Málaga in Sunday’s mid-day game. Visiting keeper Kameni had to be at his best to save from Michel and Diego Costa early on, with Sergio Sánchez heading a corner just wide in reply. Midway through the first half Michel got what was to prove the only goal with a low shot after Yoda crossed in from the right wing, but after that there were few chances at either end as both teams ran out of steam following a third game in eight days. Weligton was however lucky to be let off a couple of penalty appeals either side of half time, and the central defender was finally sent off for a second bookable offence in the final minutes.

Deportivo are only just outside of the bottom three after they lost 0-1 against Almería, the Galicians staying above Levante and Elche on goal difference. The game was evenly balanced throughout, Lux saving from Edgar and Thomas in the first half, with Sidnei hitting the post and Lopo heading a corner over the top in reply. Rubén did well to keep out a Postiga header after the restart, and Azeez got the ball in the net after Lux pushed out a long shot by Thievy, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside. However in the second minute of injury time Edgar picked up a pass from Azeez and fired in a shot from the corner of the area which took a deflection off Laure and went in off the crossbar. The win takes Almería four points above their hosts in the table.

Córdoba stay at the bottom of the table after they drew 0-0 with Espanyol in the last match of the evening, the Andalusians still without a win in their first six games. Neither side caused too many problems for the opposing keeper, Ekeng and Ghilas failing to hit the target for the locals, and Juan Carlos dealing comfortably with a Víctor Sánchez free kick shortly before half time. After the interval Fede did test Casilla a couple of times, and Pantic thought he had scored only for his header to be disallowed for a marginal offside. Colotto also tried his luck from long distance, but in the end the two teams had to make do with a point apiece. (28.09.14)

Barcelona are back on top of the first division after a big 6-0 victory over Granada on Saturday evening, Luis Enrique’s side having now gone seven games without letting in a goal. El-Arabi hit the bar early on and then fired another shot wide, but otherwise the Andalusians hardly troubled the local defence. Munir missed the easiest of chances though and Messi had a strike ruled out for offside, and midway through the first half Neymar opened the scoring after intercepting a poor pass by Héctor Yuste, his shot hitting Babín and looping past the keeper. Success did go close with a header, but with half time approaching Raktic got on the end of Messi’s cross to head home the second, and a couple of minutes later Neymar steered the ball in to an empty net after Roberto could only push out a Messi pass at the feet of Munir. After the restart Roberto had to be at his best to keep out a Xavi free kick, and Munir rolled a shot just past the post, and with just over an hour gone Messi headed in the goal of the night after Xavi and Dani Alves combined to set him up. Four minutes later Neymar completed his hat-trick after picking up another assist from Messi, and Messi himself rounded things off after winning the ball of Murillo before running on to steer a shot past the keeper.

Atlético Madrid came up against Sevilla later in the evening, one of the latest pretenders for their title. However the Andalusians didn’t manage a shot at goal throughout the ninety minutes, and Simeone’s side ran out comfortable 4-0 winners to move above their opponents in the table. By half time they were two up, Koke opening the scoring with a shot which deflected off Nico Pareja over Beto, and Saúl Ñíguez heading the second from a set-piece Gabi free kick which Miranda played across to him. Beto had to save from a Gabi header in between, and after the interval Mandzukic, Arda Turan and Griezmann all went close. With seven minutes to go though Raúl García made it three from the penalty spot after Diogo bundled in to Griezmann, and Raúl Jiménez headed in the fourth following another Koke free kick in the last minute.

Real Madrid are back in the running as well after another convincing victory, this time 0-2 at Villarreal. Both the goals came in the first half, with Modric firing home the first after picking up a pass from Kroos, and Ronaldo getting on the end of a Benzema cross to score the second. Before that though both keepers had been in action, Casillas saving from Uche, and Asenjo turning a shot by Ronaldo round the post, and Vietto had also gone close on a couple of occasions. With half time closing in Casillas had to be at his best to keep out Manu Trigueros and Vietto, and Marcelo got in the way of another shot by Trigueros, and after the restart Gabriel, Jonathan Dos Santos and Vietto all tried their luck. Casillas and his defence held fast though for a first clean sheet of the season, and they move up to fifth, albeit still four points behind the leaders.

The top six have now opened up a four point gap over the rest, with Villarreal and Granada being joined on eight points by Eibar and Rayo Vallecano. Eibar produced another surprising result, holding Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao to a 0-0 draw in the San Mamés stadium in the first ever meeting between the two teams in the top flight. The newly promoted side had visited the stadium before though, knocking their opponents out of the cup two years ago whilst still in the regional second division B, and with many of those players still in the side they were not overawed by their hosts. Athletic started the weekend down in the relegation spots, and Valverde made changes to his line-up, with Viguera accompanying Aduríz up front. Both failed to hit the target early on though, and the first real save by either keeper came when Saúl Berjón tested Iraizoz with a long shot shortly before half time. The second half continued in the same vein, Viguera heading a good chance over the top and Capa going it alone on a quick breakaway with team-mates better placed alongside him, and in the end both coaches settled for the draw.

Rayo Vallecano meanwhile beat Levante 0-2 in the last match of the evening to move up in to ninth spot in the table. Paco Jémez’s side started well, Licá bringing an early save out of Jesús before Leo Baptistao latched on to a Trashorras through ball to fire an angled shot under the body of the keeper. Ivanschitz went close and Rubén had a penalty appeal turned down, but with just over half an hour gone Baptistao got between his markers to head a long Insúa cross in to the net for his second of the night and his fourth in four days. Midway through the second half Rayo could have gone further in front when Pedro López fouled Alberto Bueno inside the area, but the striker fired his spot kick against the crossbar. And with the game in the dying stages Aquino felt himself unlucky not to be given a penalty when his shot hit Vyntra on the elbow. A good win for the visitors though, and the defeat leaves Levante back down in the relegation spots having only scored once in six matches. (27.09.14).

Celta are up to fourth in the table pending the rest of the weekend’s games after a last minute 0-1 victory over Elche on Friday evening. With a draw seemingly on the cards, Nolito picked up Krohn-Dehli’s lofted pass to score the only goal of the match, keeping up his side’s unbeaten record this season. The locals will feel themselves unlucky not to save something from the game however, especially after Fontàs headed a second half free kick against his own crossbar, the rebound hitting Sergio Alvarez, who managed to scramble the ball away from in front of goal. Other than that Rodrigues fired a shot wide and Jonathas had an effort blocked after the break, but Nolito and Orellana also had chances to put the Galicians ahead earlier on. (26.09.14)