Second Division - Day 17

Getafe have found a new lease of life under new coach Pepe Bordalás, and they are now joint second pending the rest of the weekend games after a 2-0 victory over Sevilla Atlético on Friday evening. The Madrid based team started the match three points behind the youngsters in the table, but with a quarter of an hour on the clock Alvaro Jiménez gave them the lead with a shot from outside of the area. Caro did well to keep out Jorge Molina a few minutes later, and with twenty minutes to go Molina set up Jiménez for the on-loan Real Madrid Castilla midfielder to fire home his second of the night. (02.12.16)

Cádiz are up to the play-off spots for the first time this season after a 3-0 victory over Zaragoza on Saturday evening! Alvaro García set up Salvi to open the scoring in the eighth minute, and just a minute after the restart Abdullah connected with a Brian Oliván cross to make it two. Ortuño had a headed goal ruled out for a borderline offside soon afterwards, but with a quarter of an hour to go the on-loan Las Palmas striker ran through to score a third past his old side. The Maños ended the day just three points above the drop zone, and new coach Raúl Agné has yet to make an impact after taking over from Luis Milla a month or so ago. Lugo are level on points with Cádiz after they came from behind to beat UCAM Murcia 1-2. Nono took advantage of some slack defending to put the home team ahead early on, but Alfonso Pedraza scored twice to turn the scoreline around, the first with a shot which deflected in off Fran Pérez, and the second with a low shot with a quarter of an hour to go. The locals could have saved a point though had José Juan not saved a Collantes penalty after the winger was fouled by Manu in the area.

Things are still very tight in the second division, particularly down in the lower reaches, where only one point separates seven teams. UCAM find themselves back in the relegation zone however after Mirandés beat Elche 1-0 to move off the bottom of the table and up to eighteenth spot. The locals had not won in nine games, but with assistant coach Javier Alvarez de los Mozos replacing his boss Carlos Terrazas midweek, they looked a different side. Maikel Mesa got the only goal of the match after picking up a pass from Eguaras midway through the first half, but they could have won by a bigger margin had Pedro Martín not missed an easy chance near the end. Almería are also back in the bottom four after they lost 1-0 at Numancia, the win taking the Soria based side above their opponents in the table. Marc Mateu got the goal following an assist from Julio alvarez in the fourth minute, and they held on after that for their first clean sheet in twelve games. (03.12.16)

The top two met on Sunday lunchtime, Girona beating Levante 2-1 to close the gap on the leaders to one point, albeit that the Valencia based side still have a game in hand. It was a tense match, with few chances until Longo got in front of Raúl Fernández to turn in Granell’s cross and give the Catalans the lead on the stroke of half time. Ramalho headed the second from a long Granell free kick with twenty minutes to go, but with the game coming to end Rafa Martíns got one back after Jason’s centre deflected to him to set up a nervous last few minutes for the home fans. One other game kicked off at mid-day on Sunday as well, Rayo Vallecano winning 2-0 against their south Madrid neighbours Alcorcón to move out of the relegation spots. Local keeper Gazzaniga had to make a couple of important saves before Javi Guerra headed in Ebert’s cross to put the locals in front at the start of the second half, and Cristaldo wrapped things up after Miku’s cross came to him with ten minutes to go. It was a first win for new coach Rubén Baraja, and his team are now level with their rivals in the table.

Oviedo are back up to fifth spot after they beat Nàstic 1-0 later in the evening. The only goal came in the twentieth minute, Toché getting free of his markers to head in a Susaeta corner. Juan Carlos had to save from Djetei soon afterwards, but the Asturians could have won by a bigger margin had Dimitirvsky not kept out Susaeta and Torró later on. With all their nearest rivals winning, the defeat leaves the Catalans back down at the bottom of the table. Nàstic’s neighbours Reus also lost 1-2 against Córdoba, and they drop out of the play-off spots as a result. With new coach Luis Carrión in charge, the Andalusians had beaten Málaga in the cup midweek, and with only two minutes gone Juli gave them the lead after Edgar blocked a shot from Guille Donoso. Rodri made it two on the hour mark following an assist from Javi Galán, and Kieszek made some important saves before he was finally beaten by a Babic header near the end.

Only five points separate the play-off places from the relegation spots though, Tenerife and Huesca staying a point outside of the top six after cancelling each other out in a 1-1 draw. The Canary Islanders had won their last two games, and they went ahead in the fifth minute when Amath put Aitor Sanz through to beat Sergio Herrera. Substitute Urko Vera got on the end of a David Ferreiro cross with five minutes to go to make it all square however, and Gonzalo Melero almost won it for the visitors when he hit the bar near the end. Valladolid are now just a point below both of them after they won 0-3 at Mallorca. The two teams started the day level in the table, but soon after the restart José Arnáiz picked up a pass from Jordan to open the scoring. Alex López made it two with a quarter of an hour left on the clock, and Michel wrapped things up in the last minute. The local fans called for the head of coach Fernando Vázquez after the final whistle, and he could be the next to go. (04.12.16)