Second Division - Day 33
Levante are putting in a strong challenge for the promotion spots, and they moved up to second after a 0-4 win at Girona in the opening game of the weekend. Rubén Suárez opened the scoring with just under a quarter of an hour gone, beating Jorquera with a shot on the turn, and then headed the second from Juanlu's cross early in the second half. Xisco Muñoz made it three a few minutes later, and Juanlu rounded things off on a rapid counter-attack to make it three wins in a row for Luis García's side. (16.04.10)
Leaders Real Sociedad missed out on the chance to open up a big lead on the rest after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Albacete on Saturday. The Basque side did all they could, Ansotegi and Xabi Prieto having shots blocked early on, and Cabrero saving from Griezmann and Agirretxe before the break. David Vidal's team held on though for another vital point which keeps them above the drop zone for now.
Third placed Cartagena could be out of the promotion spots by the end of the weekend after a 3-2 defeat at Gimnàstic. All the goals came in the last half hour, the visitors taking the lead against the run of play when Lafuente swept a shot past Rubén. Two free kicks in three minutes from Campano turned the scoreline around however, and Rubén Navarro added a third before Expósito completed the scoring within another free kick.
Further down the table, Recreativo moved away from the danger zone thanks to a 1-2 victory at Huesca. Jesús Vázquez opened the scoring for the visitors following a seventh minute corner, but just three minutes later Camacho equalised with a spectacular volley from another corner. Visiting keeper Bernardo had to be at his best after that, but the Andalusians came away with the three points after Carmona scored the winner late on. (17.04.10)
Betis drop out of the top three this week after they could only draw 1-1 at Celta on Sunday lunchtime. The locals took the lead midway through the first half when López Garai beat Goitia following a corner, and Cellerino wasted a couple of chances to put the Galicians further ahead after that. But Jonathan Periera equalised on the stroke of half time following good work by Emaná, and the scoreboard remained unaltered after that.
Later in the evening Numancia and Hércules cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw, a result which leaves the visitors a point outside of the top three and their hosts still five points below them in the table. Barkero headed Sendoa's cross in to his own net on the hour mark, the first goal that Hércules have scored in seven games, but Nano headed the equaliser from del Pino's cross a few minutes later. Elche are not out of the running for promotion though, a 2-0 win over bottom club Castellón taking them up to sixth. Molina got the first with an hour on the clock, his fifteenth of the season taking him to the top of the Pichichi chart, and Generelo added the second later on.
Las Palmas's new coach Paco Jémez got off to a good start, the Canary Islanders beating struggling Real Unión 2-1 thanks to a last minute goal from Rondón. Gorka Brit had equalised Alvaro Cejudo's early strike before the break, but the Basque side were left with ten men when Beobide picked up a second booking after the restart. Salamanca's new boss Jorge D'Alessandro also picked up a win on his (third time) debut, his side beating Córdoba 1-0 to move out of the relegation spots. Linares got the only goal after a period of pressure from the locals with ten minutes to go.
Salamanca's place in the bottom four is taken by Murcia, who lost 0-3 to Rayo Vallecano. Rubén Castro beat Elía to give the visitors the lead in the sixth minute, and Pelegrín and Coke added two more after the interval to to take the Madrid based side five points clear of their opponents in the table. Cádiz are now three points away from safety after they could only draw 0-0 against Villarreal B, substitute Jonathan Ramis missing two good chances to give the Andalusians a much needed victory near the end. (18.04.10)
