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Match round-up - First Division, Day 16

That’s it for 2014, Atlético Madrid closing the year’s formal activities with a 1-4 victory at Athletic Bilbao in the final game on Sunday evening which keeps them in third place, three points behind Barcelona in the table. Simeone’s side were losing at half time though, their hosts giving them a taste of their own medicine when Mikel Rico headed in a Susaeta free kick with just over a quarter of an hour gone. However just a minute in to the second half Griezmann headed in Juanfran’s cross to make it all square, and a few minutes later Raúl García converted a controversial penalty after referee Hernández Hernández ruled that San José had tripped Tiago in the area. Aduríz went close a couple of times after that, but with just under twenty minutes left on the clock Griezmann ran on unchallenged to score the third after Gurpegi slipped trying to cut out Gabi’s pass, and a few minutes later Griezmann completed his hat-trick after Raúl García’s attempted shot came back to him off San José, the referee waving away appeals that the French striker was offside when he scored.

The battle for the last Champions League spot is still wide open though, with only one point separating four teams after Villarreal and Málaga both won on Sunday. Villarreal moved above Sevilla on goal difference to fifth, just a point now behind Valencia, after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Deportivo in the mid-day kick-off. Jonathan Dos Santos opened the scoring in the tenth minute, turning the rebound in to the net after Fabricio could only push out Cheryshev’s angled shot. The visiting keeper made excellent saves from Vietto, Jaume Costa and half time substitute Giovani after that, and Asenjo was not tested until he had to keep out a long shot from Sidnei early on in the second half. Vietto added two more in a five minute period midway through the first half however, the first from Victor Ruíz’s cross and the second from Cheryshev’s, and although Tomás Pina was sent off for a hard tackle on Alex Bergantiños just three minutes after coming on, Marcelino’s side ran the clock down for an eighth win in a row in all competitions.

Málaga are level on points with Villarreal and Sevilla after they came from behind to beat bottom club Elche later in the evening. Tyton had to be at his best to keep out Duda, Antunes and Horta as the visitors dominated the opening minutes, but on the stroke of half time Lombán got on the end of a wide Albácar free kick to head the locals in front. Camacho turned in a Samu Castillejo cross to equalize soon after the break, but Pasalic had a headed goal disallowed for offside, and Kameni had to tip an effort from Aarón Ñíguez over the top as the locals looked to restore the lead. Javi Gracía brought on Luis Alberto with a quarter of an hour to go however, and the ex Liverpool forward almost immediately picked up Recio’s short pass and ran on to fire home the winner for the Andalusians. The top seven have now opened up a massive ten point gap over the rest.

Elsewhere Granada and Getafe drew 1-1, a result which left the locals down in the bottom three, below Almería and Deportivo on goal difference, and the visitors fairly safely up to mid-table. The Andalusians had not won in the league in eleven games, and coach Joaquín Caparrós gave a run out to keeper Oier, who had to save from Lafita early on. Shortly before half time Córdoba put the Andalusians in front, finishing off from close to goal after Fran Rico and then El-Arabi headed on Nyom’s cross, and Piti tried his luck with a couple of long range efforts after the restart. Oier did well to push a Naldo header over the bar though and Alexis got the ball in the net only for the referee to rule it out for a questionable offside in the build up, and with twelve minutes to go Velázquez levelled the scores after a Pedro León free kick fell to him in the area. (21.12.14)

Barcelona closed the gap on leaders Real Madrid to one point, albeit with a game more, after a 5-0 win over Córdoba on Saturday afternoon. Pedro picked up Rakitic’s pass to open the scoring in only the second minute, and Luis Suárez, Pedro, Jordi Alba and Piqué all failed to convert chances later in the first half. Ghilas fired a shot in to the side netting and Fede Cartabia hit the outside of the post in reply, but some seven minutes in to the second half Luis Suárez made it two, poking a shot past Juan Carlos after controlling a pass from Pedro. Rakitic rattled the upright with a long shot and Xavi brought a good save out of Juan Carlos, but the Andalusians held on until ten minutes from the end, when Piqué ran in to head a third from Xavi’s wide free kick. After that though Messi added two more for what was a flattering result, the first after Xavi’s corner came back out to him, and the second with a quick-footed control and shot on the turn which the keeper was unable to prevent from entering the net.

Real Madrid’s game against fourth placed Sevilla had been postponed to February to allow them to participate in the Club World Cup, and Valencia took advantage of Sevilla’s absence as well to overtake them in the table following a 0-1 victory at a rainy Eibar. Diego Alves had to be at his best to push a long shot by Piovaccari round the post early on, but with half an hour on the clock Piatti picked up a long ball by Rodrigo De Paul and ran on towards goal. At first it seemed that he had overrun the ball, but although Irureta blocked his shot the rebound fell kindly for Paco Alcácer to steer a shot into an empty net. Arruabarrena and Piovaccari tested Alves again either side of half time, but otherwise the Ches were in control, and the dual strike force of Alcácer and Negredo could have added to the scoreline with a bit more luck. A second home defeat for the Basque side, but they end the year in the top half of the table, a great feat in their first season in the top flight.

Espanyol are level on points with Celta and Eibar after a 1-3 win at Rayo Vallecano in the last match of the evening. Sergio García opened the scoring early on, turning a shot into an empty net after Cristian Alvarez at first held on to a long Colotto clearance, but then dropped the ball after crashing into his own defender Tito. Casilla had to save from Alex Moreno though soon afterwards, and Víctor Sánchez was lucky to be let off a penalty appeal when he blocked Bueno’s overhead kick with his arm, and with the first half coming to a close Leo Baptistao made it all square after Colotto deflected Kakuta’s cross in to his path. However with a quarter of an hour to go Lucas Vázquez restored the lead when he headed in a Sergio García cross, and although substitute Stuani got himself sent off for a second bookable offence following a clash with Raúl Baena, Sergio García beat Tito to a long ball to run on and fire home the winner in the fifth minute of time added on.

Further down the table Levante and Real Sociedad cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw, and both are now just three points above the drop zone after Almería’s win on Friday evening. There were few chances in a tense first half, Rulli signaling his first league start with a stop from Casadesús, and Hervías firing a weak shot at Diego Mariño. Just three minutes in to the second half though Canales fired the visitors into the lead with a shot on the turn after Vyntra could only play Xabi Prieto’s cross back to him, and although Barral headed against the bar a few minutes later, the Basque side looked set for their first away win of the season. Ansotegi was let off a possible penalty for hand ball however, and with the match coming to an end the referee did award a spot kick after Carlos Martínez blocked a long Iván López throw-in with his arm, Ivanschitz stepping up to drill the ball past Rulli and save an important point for his team against a direct relegation rival. (20.12.14)

Almería climbed out of the relegation spots pending the rest of the weekend games after a 0-1 victory at Celta on Friday evening. Juan Ignacio Martínez was in charge of the visitors for the first time in the league after taking over from Francisco, his side boosted by the victory over Betis in the cup midweek. The hosts had also won through their cup tie against Las Palmas on Tuesday, but they hadn’t scored in the league for five games, and they went behind on the quarter hour mark when Fontàs tried to chest Edgar’s cross to his keeper only to set up Hemed for the easiest of goals. A few minutes later Cabral brought a good save out of Julián (who had replaced the injured Rubén), Orellana hit the bar with a well struck free kick soon after the restart, and Augusto and Charles also went close as the Galicians pushed forward looking for the equalizer. However they were unable to score even from the penalty spot, Julián keeping out Nolito after Zongo had brought down Orellana in the area, and Thievy could have increased the lead had he been able to beat Sergio Alvarez when free on goal late on. (19.12.14)