News Archive

Match round-up - First Division, Day 32

Villarreal missed out on a chance to close up on the Champions League spots, and also to put some daylight between themselves and the teams chasing them for the Europa League places, after they were beaten 2-1 by Alavés on Monday evening. Both keepers were in action early on, Andrés saving from Ibai Gómez and Deyverson, and Pacheco keeping out Roberto Soriano. With ten minutes to go to the break though Ibai volleyed a first time shot back in to the net after Mario headed out a Kiko Femenía centre, and with half time approaching Rodrigo Ely headed a second from another Femenía cross. Andrés had to save again from Toquero after the restart, but with twenty minutes to go Bakambu got one back with a shot which deflected in off Ely after Mario won the ball off Theo Hernández. After that Bakambu, Trigueros and Mario all tested Pacheco, and Bakambu could have saved a point had he not shot wide when free on goal in injury time. Villarreal end the day just a point ahead of sixth placed Athletic Bilbao, with their hosts now eleven points below them in eleventh place. (17.04.17)

Fourth placed Sevilla are now three points below Atlético Madrid after they were held to a 0-0 draw at Valencia on Sunday afternoon. Despite the result there were many chances, Jovetic hitting the post just seconds after coming on for the injured Vitolo. Soon afterwards Mariano cleared a header from Munir off the line, and Sergio Rico had to make some important saves, in particular from Orellana and Montoya before the break, and Zaza a couple of times afterwards. Diego Alves was lucky to get away with it when he handled the ball outside of the area on the blind side of the referee later on, and Zaza had a strike ruled out near the end for handling the ball in the build-up. Another point though for the Andalusians, and they have opened up an eight point gap over fifth spot pending Villarreal’s game on Monday.

The battle for the two (or three if Barcelona win the cup) Europa League spots is still very tight, with only five points between Fran Escribá’s team and ninth placed Espanyol, who beat Leganés 0-1 in the mid-day game. The Madrid based side had not won in five games, but they had the better chances early on, Diego López having to save from Adrián Marín and El Zhar. After the restart Caicedo brought a good stop out of Herrerín, and Jurado went close with a cross-come-shot just wide of the far post. Szymanowski and Guerrero failed to find the target at the other end, and El Zhar tested Diego López once again, but with the game in injury time substitute Leo Baptistao picked up a return pass from Gerard Moreno to run on lob the local keeper for the winner.

The Catalans are now just a point below Eibar, who drop to eighth after a 2-0 defeat at Betis. Jonas Martin headed the locals in front from a Rafa Navarro cross in only the second minute, and Joaquín caused some problems with a couple of free kicks, the first from wide out almost catching Yoel off his line, and the second headed just wide by Pezzella. Ramis and Pedro León went close for the visitors before the interval, and Adán did well to keep out Pedro León and Gálvez in the second half. However with two minutes to go Alex Alegría headed on a long clearance for Dani Ceballos to run on and wrap things up. The result ends a run of three defeats in a row for the Andalusians, and they are now virtually sure of another season in the top flight.

Celta still have an outside chance of returning to Europe again as well, although they are currently concentrating on this year’s competition. However a line-up packed with reserve players was still good enough to beat Granada 0-3 in the last match of the evening, the win keeping them five points below Espanyol in the table. Jozabed started things off for the Galicians after Beauvue set him up midway through the first half, but the locals had several opportunities to equalize after that, Ponce, Wakaso, Pereira and Kravets all failing to convert chances. After the restart though Marcelo Díaz made it two with a well struck free kick, and just three minutes later Beauvue got the third after a shot from Bongonda came back off the post. It was a bad start for new coach Tony Adams (whose first line-up included players from eleven different countries), and his side stay in next to last spot, seven points below seventeenth placed Leganés, realistically now the only other team who could go down if any of the bottom three can rally their forces over the last six weeks of the season. (16.04.17)

Real Madrid maintain their three point lead at the top going in to next weekend’s “clásico” after a last gasp 2-3 victory over Sporting Gijón on Saturday afternoon. Zidane made no less than nine changes from his midweek Champions League line-up, and they went behind early on when Duje Cop ran on to Vesga’s lofted pass to beat Kiko Casilla. Just three minutes later though Madrid were level, Isco cutting past three players before firing a shot wide of Cuéllar, and later in the first half the local keeper had to be at his best to keep out a header from Nacho. Five minutes after the restart however Vesga headed the Asturians back in front after Babín headed across a long free kick, but once again the visitors equalized soon afterwards, Morata getting above Babín to head Danilo’s cross inside the far post. Danilo and Mariano headed chances wide, and Marcelo drilled a shot just past the post after a dazzling run by Isco, but it looked if the points would be shared until Isco unleashed a long shot wide of Cuéllar with the game already in the ninetieth minute.

Second placed Barcelona stay in touch with the leaders though, albeit having played a game more, after a 3-2 win against Real Sociedad later in the evening. All the goals came in the first half, Messi opening the scoring with a low shot from the edge of the area, and then adding a second after Rulli blocked a shot from Luis Suárez. With three minutes to go to the break though Umtiti deflected the ball in to his own net after a shot by Iñigo Martínez from a wide angle came off Ter Stegen, and although Paco Alcácer combined with Messi to score a third for the locals, Xabi Prieto reduced the gap again on the stroke of half time. After the interval Luis Enrique’s side had several chances to increase the lead, Rulli in particular saving from Messi, Rakitic and Luis Suárez, but the visitors also could have saved a point, especially with a shot by Iñigo Martínez from the half-way line which Ter Stegen just managed to tip over the bar. A morale boosting victory after the midweek Champions League defeat at Juventus, but a difficult week ahead for the Blaugrana. The defeat though leaves Real (who have not won in Nou Camp in 24 years) down in eighth spot, and they need to get their European campaign back on track in the coming weeks.

Atlético Madrid meanwhile consolidated third spot after they beat bottom club Osasuna 3-0. Simeone rested several players for the midweek Champions League game at Leicester, but even so Correa went close a couple of times before Carrasco fired them in to the lead. After the break Carrasco headed a second from Gaitán’s cross, and Sirigu had to keep out Fernando Torres a couple of times before Filipe Luis made it three from a Correa assist. Oblak was hardly troubled throughout the ninety minutes, and the locals could have won by a bigger margin had Sirigu not saved two penalties in a minute near the end, the first from Carrasco after the visiting keeper brought down Correa, and the second from Thomas after De las Cuevas handled in the area.

Earlier in the day Deportivo moved a step closer to safety after they won 2-0 against Málaga, the result taking the Galicians nine points clear of eighteenth placed Sporting in the table. Both teams had chances before the break, Joselu and Carles Gil going close for the locals, and Lux having to save from Rosales and Juan Carlos at the other end. Just two minutes after the restart though Joselu headed the opener from a Luisnho cross, and substitute Andone tested Kameni before Mosquera made it two, the midfielder poking the ball past Kameni after Gil played on Juanfran’s centre. Camacho could have got one back had his long shot not cannoned off the crossbar, but it was too late to prevent a first defeat in three games for Michel’s side. (15.04.17)

Athletic Bilbao are back up to sixth pending the rest of the Easter weekend games after a 5-1 victory over Las Palmas on Friday evening. San José and Muniain put the Basque side two up with less than ten minutes gone, the former with a header from an Iturraspe corner, and the latter with a free kick which he bent around the defensive wall. Bigas got one back soon afterwards with a header in off the post from a Tana corner, but Aduríz made it three on the quarter hour mark, the veteran striker touching a Williams cross past Raúl Lizoain before poking the ball in to the net whilst lying on the ground. De Marcos had to deflect a Tana shot for a corner soon afterwards, but after that the locals were on top, Aduríz having a headed goal ruled out for offside, and Williams, San José and Muniain all going close before the break. With just under an hour on the clock Muniain drilled home a fourth after Macedo headed a Raúl García centre in to his path, and just a minute later Aduríz scored the fifth after San José set him up. Momo missed an easy chance and Kepa had to save from Livaja later on, but it was another defeat for the Canary Islanders, who stay in thirteenth spot having only picked up six points away from home all season. (14.04.17)