The top six teams all drew this weekend, leaders Levante staying three points clear after a 2-2 draw at Almería on Sunday evening. Quique put the locals ahead from the penalty spot after Abraham handled in the area on the quarter hour mark, and the striker hit the post later on in the first half. However Roger made it all square with an angled shot just a minute after the restart, and ten minutes later he set up Jason for a second. Visiting keeper Raúl Fernández had to make several saves after that though, and with two minutes to go Quique headed the equalizer, the point taking the Andalusians back above Nàstic at the bottom of the table. Second placed Lugo also drew 2-2 at fourth placed Mirandés, the result keeping up both sides’ unbeaten record. The Galicians went two up in the first quarter of an hour or so, Pedraza assisting top scorer Joselu for the first, and then scoring the second himself. But midway through the second half Maikel Mesa converted a penalty after Carlos Pita handled the ball, and with a quarter of an hour left on the clock Guarrotxena made it all square following a Provencio free kick.
Girona stay sixth after their match at Cádiz ended 0-0. The Andalusians had the better chances, René having to save in particular from Abdullah, Carlos Calvo and Rubén Cruz, but in the end they had settle for a point which left them down in the bottom four. Oviedo took advantage of the slips by the teams above them to move up to within a point of the play-off spots after they beat Rayo Vallecano 2-0 in the mid-day kick-off. The visitors had two goals disallowed for borderline offsides, but Linares put the Asturans ahead shortly before the interval after picking up a long pass from Michu, and Toché wrapped things up from the penalty spot after Rat fouled Michu in the area with twenty minutes to go. Elsewhere Mallorca climbed out of the relegation zone thanks to a 3-0 victory over Huesca, Brandon Thomas getting all three goals for the islanders. The young forward netted twice in the first six minutes and completed his hat-trick midway through the second half, and the locals held on despite having Joan Oriol sent off for a second bookable offence later on. (09.10.16)
With the top two playing on Sunday, Córdoba had a chance to move up in to the direct promotion spots when they met Numancia on Saturday evening. However in the end they could only draw 1-1, and they remain in third place. Manu del Moral got on the end of a Julio Alvarez centre to give the locals the lead with twenty minutes gone, but Caro levelled the scores with a header from Donoso’s corner early on in the second half. Reus stay fifth after they were held to a scoreless draw by Tenerife in the first match of the afternoon. Most of the action came after the interval, Visiting striker Choco Lozano firing a penalty kick against the crossbar after Benito fouled Iñaki in the area midway through the second half, and Suso and Olmo both missing chances at either end. Zaragoza though failed to make it in back to the play-off places after they lost 2-1 to Sevilla Atlético later in the evening. All the goals came after the break, Juan Muñoz lobbing keeper José Antonio Caro to give the Maños the lead, but Ivi netting twice for the youngsters to take them to within a point of their opponents in the table.
Getafe’s new coach Pepe Bordalás picked up his first win since taking over a few days ago, a 2-0 victory over UCAM Murcia taking his side out of the relegation spots. The first goal came some three minutes in to the second half when Albizua deflected a Dani Pacheco shot in to his own net, and five minutes later Faurlín headed a Damián Suárez free kick past Biel Ribas to wrap things up. Valladolid also won 2-0 against Alcorcón, the result bringing to an end a run of five defeats in a row. Young striker José Arnáiz got both the goals in the opening eleven minutes of the game, the first from Leao’s assist, and the second after Juan Villar set him up close to goal.
Elsewhere there was a high scoring 4-4 draw between Elche and Nàstic, the Catalans climbing off the bottom of the table pending Almería’s match tomorrow. Vicente Moreno’s team were still looking for their first win of the season, but they went ahead after Alex López connected with Uche’s pass early on. However Nino scored twice the next eight minutes to turn the scoreline around, and Matilla added a third from a free kick on the hour mark. Tejera got one back though from the penaty spot after Pedro handled in the area, and goals from Alex López and Jean Luc put the visitors back in the lead. Dorca made it all square again however, and in the last few minutes Matilla and Iago Bouzón were both shown red cards for second bookable offences, the former for protesting from the bench having already been substituted. (08.10.16)