News Archive

Match round-up - First Division, Day 10

Eibar displaced Valencia in sixth spot after they beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in this week’s Sunday mid-day kick-off. For the first time in six games Borja Bastón failed to score, although it was his cross that Diego Llorente turned into his own net on a quick breakaway in the twentieth minute to give the Basque side the lead. Before that Borja and Verdi had come up against Toño and Bebé shot wide at the other end, and shortly after the goal Keko almost caught the visiting keeper off his line with a long shot which bounced off the crossbar. Saúl Berjón missed an easy chances after the restart, and Dos Santos and Inui went close, but Eibar had already done enough to clock up their first home win in four games.

Eibar´s neighbours Athletic Bilbao are closing up on the European spots though, and they are just two points below Mendilibar’s team after a 1-3 win atBetis in a rainy last match of the weekend. Williams fired an angled shot past Adán in the eighth minute to give the visitors the lead, and San José, De Marcos and Aduríz all went close before Williams dragged a Raúl García cross into the net with his heel to make it two on the stroke of half time. The Basque side kept up the momentum after the break, Raúl García bringing a good save out of Adán and then chipping a shot against the crossbar. But Laporte was lucky to be let off a penalty when the ball hit him on the hand in the area, and soon afterwards the locals were awarded a spot kick when Joaquín’s cross hit Williams on the arm, Rubén Castro stepping up to fire the ball past Iraizoz. That put the Andalusians back in the game until three minutes from the end, when Aduríz set up Raúl García for him to volley home the third and wrap things up.

Espanyol drop a point behind Athletic after they could only draw 1-1 at home to struggling Granada. Neither side created too many chances in a dull first half, although Pau López had to save a couple of efforts from Javi Márquez and Foulquier. Duarte felt he should have had a penalty when Rubén Pérez tripped him in the area, but after the interval Success and Piti went close, and with just under an hour gone Babín headed the visitors in front from a long Piti free kick. Andrés had to keep out Diop and Caicedo however, and although the locals had Rober sent off for a second bookable offence, Caicedo scrambled home the equalizer with virtually the last kick of the match after Andrés pushed Asensio’s header onto the post. The result means Granada stay in the drop zone for another week, and Sandoval’s frustration was clear to see as the Andalusians threw away points once again in the dying minutes.

Sporting Gijón meanwhile move safely up to mid-table after they beat Málaga 1-0, a first home win of the season for the Asturians. Halilovic got on the end of a Sergio Alvarez cross to fire in the only goal midway through the first half, and Isma López came close to a second when he drilled a long shot just past the post a few minutes later. Juan Carlos replied with a couple of efforts just wide of the mark either side of half time, and Charles dallied too long when free in front of goal soon afterwards. In the end though Halilovic could have added two more in the final minutes, the first a shot against the crossbar from the edge of the area, and the second a shot which Kameni pushed onto the bar after the young Croatian ran through from midfield. The defeat leaves Málaga just two points above the bottom three, and for the eighth game this season they had failed to score. (01.11.15)

Real Madrid and Barcelona are still neck-and-neck at the top of the table just three weeks prior to the next “clásico” after both won their respective games on Saturday evening. Real Madrid stay in first place though on goal difference after beating Las Palmas 3-1 in the first match of the day. All the goals came in the first half, Isco starting things off with only four minutes gone after picking up a pass from Casemiro. Javi Varas had to keep out Modric soon afterwards, but with a quarter of an hour on the clock Ronaldo made it two with a diving header from Marcelo’s cross, taking him level with Hugo Sánchez as La Liga’s third highest goal scorer. Rafa Benítez had made several changes, including resting Keylor Navas in goal, and his replacement Kiko Casilla had to save from Jonathan Viera before he was finally beaten by a Hernán header following a corner with seven minutes to go to the break. However Jesé restored the two goal cushion just before the break, and although both keepers had work to do after the restart, the result was never in doubt.

Later in the evening Barcelona matched their arch rivals with a 0-2 victory at Getafe, ending a run of two away defeats in a row. Both teams had chances early on, Munir going wide with an overhead kick in the first minute, and Scepovic shooting past the post soon afterwards. Sergi Roberto and Luis Suárez went close, and the visitors felt they should have had a penalty when the ball hit Vergini’s arm in the area, but with eight minutes to go to the break Luis Suárez opened the scoring, steering a shot inside the near post after a clever back-heel pass by Sergi Roberto from Neymar’s cross. After the interval Jordi Alba had a strike ruled out for a borderline offside, and soon afterwards Neymar connected with a Roberto centre on a quick counter-attack following a Getafe corner to volley home the second. Guaita had to be at his best to keep out Dani Alves and Jordi Alba after that, and Luis Suárez poked a shot just wide, but by then the game was over and Luis Enrique was already thinking about the upcoming Champions League fixture.

Celta move ahead of Atlético to third spot after they came from behind twice to beat Real Sociedad 2-3 in the last game on Saturday. Agirretxe headed the Basque side into the lead from Zurutuza’s centre with ten minutes gone, and although Iago Aspas deflected a long shot from Radoja past Rulli a few minutes later, Agirretxe connected with a Yuri cross to restore the lead with eight minutes to go to half time. Sergio Alvarez had to make a vital save from Iñigo Martínez minutes later, but some ten minutes after the restart Aspas levelled it once again with a header from a Daniel Wass cross on a quick breakaway. Alvarez had to be at his best to push a shot from Yuri round the post after that, but Aspas and Wass both wasted chances later on, and with two minutes to go Pablo Hernández picked up a pass from Nolito before curling an impressive shot wide of the local keeper from outside of the area.

The result dumped Villarreal out of the Champions League spots, Marcelino’s side having momentarily moved up to fourth after a 2-1 win against Sevilla. The locals started well, Bruno and Bakambu bringing good saves out of Sergio Rico before Mario Gaspar opened the scoring midway through the first half, the Spanish international full back poking a shot across the keeper after a Denis Suárez corner fell to him close to goal. Rico had to keep out Bruno again after the restart, and with an hour on the clock Bakambu made it two with the easiest of tap-ins after Denis Suárez set him up. Fernando Llorente headed one back though from Konoplyanka’s cross with a quarter of an hour to go, and although Suárez fired a shot against the crossbar in reply, Areola had to make late stops from Konoplyanka and Llorente near the end to ensure the three points.

Valencia meanwhile are up to sixth after they beat city neighbours Levante 3-0. It was a flattering result however, a revitalized Levante under new coach Rubi (who replaced the sacked Lucas Alcaraz midweek) putting up a good fight before succumbing to three late goals. Jaume Domenech had to save from Morales early on, and either side of half time Roger, Juanfran and Lerma all went close, Domenech subsequently having to keep out an angled shot from Toño soon after the restart. Feghouli and Paco Alcácer had goals disallowed for offside before the interval though, and with an hour gone Alcácer opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Rubén could only parry a shot from André Gomes and then brought down Feghouli as he raced in on the rebound. A few minutes later Feghouli made it two, running the ball over the line from a possible offside position after Alcácer lifted a shot past Rubén, and Bakkali wrapped things up with a fierce angled shot some twelve minutes before the final whistle. Levante stay at the bottom of the table for another week after the defeat and their hosts are back into the European spots, albeit that their demanding fans still chanted for coach Nuno to go, and for the ostracized Negredo to be reinstated. (31.10.15)

Atlético Madrid missed out on a chance to top the table overnight after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Deportivo La Coruña on Friday evening. A shot from outside of the area by Thiago some twelve minutes before half time made them virtual leaders pending the games of Real Madrid and Barcelona tomorrow, and they almost went further in front before the break when Godín headed a corner against the upright, Griezmann firing the rebound straight at Lux with the goal at his mercy. Depor came back after the restart though, Fede Cartabia finally testing Oblak with a couple of long shots, and Lucas Pérez winning the ball off a hesitant Giménez to cut across the area and equalize with ten minutes to go. Fajr almost won it for the Galicians near the end with a long shot which rattled the crossbar, but they will be happy with a point which keeps them in sixth place for the time being. (30.10.15)