News Archive

Match round-up - First Division, Day 29

Celta kept themselves in the running for the Europa League spots after a 3-1 victory over Las Palmas in the Monday night game. Giuseppe Rossi was the hero of the night, the Italo-American striker (who had only scored once in the league this season) helping himself to a hat-trick in the first hour of the match. Jozabed hit the crossbar before Rossi won the ball off Bigas to run on and score the opener in the twelfth minute, and Iago Aspas came close to adding a second when he hit the bar again with a free kick. With ten minutes to go to the break though David Simón had a goal incorrectly ruled out for a non-existent offside, but a minute or so later Rossi got his second of the night after Raúl Lizoain could only push out a shot from Aspas. Before the interval it was Vicente Gómez’s turn to rattle the woodwork, but after the restart Rossi netted again after Jozabed set him up. With ten minutes to go Bigas got one back with an acrobatic shot after David García headed across Roque’s long ball in to the area, and Jonathan Viera and Jesé went close in the dying minutes. The result takes the Galicians back up into the top half of the table, and leaves the visitors six points below them having not won away from home since the opening day of the season. (03.04.17)

Real Madrid stay two points clear at the top of the table with a game still in hand after a 3-0 win over Alavés on Sunday. Ronaldo tried his luck a couple of times before Benzema picked up a Dani Carvajal pass to open the scoring on the half hour mark, the referee waving away claims that the striker was offside in the build up. Bale fired a shot just wide before the break, but after the restart Deyverson, Edgar and Manu García all failed to convert chances for the visitors. Bale fired a shot into the side netting in reply though, and in the last five minutes Zidane’s team added two more, Isco latching on to Ronaldo’s pass to turn an impressive shot past Pacheco, and Nacho heading the third after Bale’s free kick came back off the crossbar.

Barcelona kept up pace with the leaders however after they beat Granada 1-4 in the last match of the evening. With Messi suspended, Luis Suárez took over the limelight, the Uruguayan striker lobbing a shot against the bar and bringing two or three good saves out of Ochoa before opening the scoring on the stroke of half time. Five minutes in to the second half Boga ran on to Saunier’s pass to level the scores, but a quarter of an hour later Paco Alcácer (who had replaced the injured Rafinha earlier on) restored the lead after Luis Suárez set him up. The Andalusians were left with ten men when Uche Agbo picked up two bookings in quick succession, and in the last ten minutes or so Rakitic and Neymar added two more, and Neymar came close to fifth when he fired a shot against the upright in the dying seconds.

The title race is now between the top two however, Sevilla dropping eight points adrift after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Sporting Gijón in the mid-day game. Nasri brought an early save out of Cuéllar, but with half an hour on the clock referee Bikandi Garrido at first gave a penalty to the visitors after Carmona was brought down in the area, only to overturn the decision and award a free kick the other way for offside after consulting with his linesman. Cuéllar kept out Vitolo again after the break, and Carmona tested Sergio Rico at the other end after the restart, and Amorebieta was lucky to be let off another penalty appeal when he blocked Vitolo’s cross with his hand, injuring himself in the process. Iborra and N’Zonzi went close after that as the Andalusians pushed forward desperately for the win, but in the end they had to settle for a point which leaves them below Atlético on goal difference. The two sides will be battling it out from now on for third place, which gives automatic access to the Champions League group stage.

Sporting themselves are now only five points away from safety, with three teams above them on 27 points, Málaga, Leganés and also Deportivo, who lost 3-0 at Valencia later in the day. The Galicians had the better start though, Diego Alves having to save a penalty from Fayçal Fajr after Motoya brought down Andone in the area, and Carles Gil getting the ball in the net only for the strike to be ruled out for a questionable offside. Soon afterwards however Garay put the locals in front after a Munir header from a Dani Parejo free kick came back off the bar, and with half an hour on the clock Albentosa headed a Parejo corner in to his own net to make it two. Alves still had to save from Gil, Joselu and Andone either side of the break, but with the game in injury time substitute Cancelo wrapped things up with a third goal which takes the Ches safely up to mid-table. (02.04.17)

Atlético Madrid are up to third pending Sevilla’s game on Sunday lunchtime after they beat Málaga 0-2 in the last match on Saturday. Fernando Torres set up both goals almost without meaning to, the first after Koke ran on to his deflected return pass to turn a shot past Kameni midway through the first half. Keko and Sandro tested Oblak either side of the break, but otherwise the local keeper was hardly troubled, and Torres and Griezmann went close before Filipe Luis picked up another speculative pass from Torres to make it two with a quarter of an hour to go. Sandro, Llorente, Santos and Rosales all came up against Oblak as the visitors tried to get back in the game near the end, but it was another defeat for Michel’s team, who find themselves just two places above the relegation spots having not won since mid-February. .

The top four have opened up an eight point gap over the rest though, Real Sociedad now up in to fifth place despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Leganés. Injuries and suspensions forced Eusebio tp put out a much changed side, and although Herrerín had to save from Canales early on, the visitors had the better of the first half. Szymanowski in particular was a constant menace, the Argentinian midfielder chipping a shot against the bar before opening the scoring with an impressive shot from wide out on the left. Juanmi made it all square though from an Odriozola cross early on in the second half, and only a couple of good saves by Herrerín prevented Raúl Navas and Willian José from netting the winner later on in the match.

Villarreal drop a point below Real Sociedad though after they lost 2-3 to Eibar in the lunchtime game. Roberto Soriano gave the hosts the lead with an angled header from Mario’s cross, and later in the first half Soldado hit the bar following a quickly taken free kick. Soon after the restart however Pedro León converted a penalty after Ocón Arráiz ruled that Kike García had been fouled in the area, and the referee turned down a penalty appeal for hands by Lejeune before Kike turned in Arbilla’s cross to put the visitors in front. With twelve minutes to go Inui made it three after winning the ball off Jonathan Dos Santos, and a second goal from Soriano came too late to change the result.

Eibar themselves are only four points off the Europa League spots, a point above Espanyol and three below Athletic Bilbao, who won 1-2 at neighbours Osasuna. Aduríz started things off early on after De Marcos played on a Williams pass, his 100 th league goal for the club, but soon afterwards Oier hit the post, and Kepa had to make saves from Rivière and De las Cuevas. With half time approaching however Williams scored his side’s second after picking up a pass from De Marcos, and after the interval Raúl García volleyed a shot wide, and Aduríz chipped another effort just past the upright. Substitute Sergio León did get one back with ten minutes to go, but the defeat leaves the Pamplona based team even further adrift at the foot of the table having still not won at home all season. (01.04.17)

La Liga returned after the two week international break, Espanyol coming from behind late on to beat Betis 2-1 on Friday evening. Brasanac went close for the visitors a couple of times early on, and Adán made good saves from Víctor Sánchez and Diego Reyes either side of half time. With twelve minutes to go though Rubén Castro gave the Andalusians the lead from the penalty spot after Sanabria fell under a challenge from Javi Fuego. However some ten minutes later Javi Fuego equalized after Gerard Moreno played a Reyes free kick across the area, and with the game in the last minute of normal time Reyes fired home the winner to take the Catalans up to eighth pending the rest of the weekend games. (31.03.17)