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Match round-up - First Division, Day 7

There is already talk in Spain that La Liga could be a five-horse race this season, with Valencia and Sevilla joining the big three in the battle for the title. Valencia’s victory yesterday over Atlético to hold on to second place strengthened that idea, and Sevilla are still lying third after they beat Deportivo 4-1 on Sunday lunchtime. The Andalusians needed a result after their defeat at Atlético and their poor showing in the Europa League, and Denis Suárez missed an easy chance before Mbia got on the end of Deulofeu’s corner to head home the opener. Medunjanin levelled the scores with a well struck free kick on the half hour mark, but Trémoulinas rattled the crossbar soon afterwards, and Bacca restored the lead before the break following another Deulofeu assist. After that Depor gave up the fight, Mbia getting his second of the day after Bacca laid the ball across, and Vitolo making it four after Deulofeu put him through. Bacca had a chance to increase the lead further when Lux brought him down in the penalty area, but the keeper made up for his mistake saving the striker’s spot kick. A much needed win though for Emery’s side, and the Galicians find themselves at the bottom of the table as a result.

Real Madrid are back in the frame though after their early season slips, and they are just a point behind Sevilla after thrashing a poor Athletic Bilbao 5-0 in the last match of the weekend. With just three minutes gone Cristiano Ronaldo headed them in to the lead from Bale’s cross, and Iraizoz had to be at his best to keep out a couple of efforts from Ronaldo later in the first half. Casillas was called upon to tip an impressive volley by Muniain over the top, but shortly before half time Benzema headed in a Modric corner to make it two. Ten minutes after the restart the “BBC” combination (Benzema-Bale-Cristiano) worked again for Ronaldo to score the third, and Modric and Ronaldo got together to set up Benzema for a fourth. Casillas did have to save again from Ibai Gómez, but Iraizoz was forced to make several stops from Modric, Ronaldo and Bale before he was beaten for a fifth time, Pepe’s snapshot hitting Ronaldo on the elbow and deflecting in to the net. It was the Portuguese striker’s third hat-trick in fifteen days, and his thirteenth of the season in the league, the best start by anyone in 70 years. Athletic though are reeling after only picking up one point in their last five games (as well as losing at Borisov in the Champions League midweek), and they ended the weekend down in the bottom three.

Sixth placed Celta lost ground on the teams above them however after they were beaten 1-3 by Villarreal, Marcelino’s side themselves moving up to within a point of their hosts as a result. The Galicians had not lost all season, but they were struck a double blow when Moi Gómez scored twice in a twenty second period around the half hour mark, the first after a Cheryshev assist, and the second following a long gallop from the half-way line. Bruno came close to a third when he headed a corner just wide, but Krohn-Dehli tested Sergio Asenjo soon afterwards, and with the first half coming to a close Larrivey picked up a Nolito pass and ran on to steer a shot past Sergio Alvarez. A few minutes after the restart Bruno headed a Fontàs overhead kick off the line following a corner, and Asenjo had to make a couple of saves after that to keep the visitors in front. With five minutes to go though Fontàs was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Uche, and with the game in time added on Mario wrapped things up after combining with Vietto in a quick breakaway.

Real Sociedad ended the weekend just a point above the drop zone after they were beaten 2-0 by Espanyol. Lucas Vázquez opened the scoring early on for Sergio González’s side after controlling a cross by Sergio García, and Zubikarai had to be on his toes to tip a Lucas free kick over the bar soon afterwards. Colotto headed a corner over the top and Sergio García tested the keeper again before the break, and Real’s only reply was a shot on the turn by Agirretxe which was deflected for a corner. After the interval the Basque side improved a bit, but Agirretxe and Vela saw their shots comfortably saved by Kiko Casilla, and Sergio García almost caught out the visiting defence with a free kick under the defensive wall which went just wide of the mark. The result was still in doubt however until the second minute of injury time, when Paco Montañés set up fellow substitute Stuani to score the second, taking the Catalans up to eighth place in the table. (05.10.14)

Barcelona stay at the top of the table after a 0-2 victory at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday evening. Local coach Paco Jémez took a brave but reckless approach, trying to match the Blaugrana at their own game rather than packing his defence, and Bravo was called upon to keep out Alberto Bueno early on. However Munir and Messi both got free only to be pulled up for borderline offside decisions, and with ten minutes to go to the break Messi ran on to Piqué’s high ball to scoop a shot over Toño for the opener. Just a minute later Munir played on Xavi’s long pass for Neymar to make it two, and before the break Munir got through again on another quick counter-attack only to be brought down by Toño, referee Mateu Lahoz waving away claims for a penalty. True to form, Jémez responded by replacing a defender with another attacker at the interval, and Bravo had to save from Bueno and Baptistao soon after the restart. However with an hour on the clock the locals were left with ten men after Morcillo picked up a second booking, and only some out of character misses by Messi in particular prevented the scoreline from increasing. Rayo ended with nine men when substitute Aquino was also shown a second yellow card, and Barça ran down the clock to record a record seventh clean sheet in a row, albeit that they did let in goals in that midweek Champions League defeat in Paris.

For a couple of hours or so though Valencia moved above the Catalans after a 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid earlier in the afternoon. The Ches raced in to a three goal lead with less than a quarter of an hour gone, Miranda failing to communicate with Moyà and heading a long Mustafi centre his own net to open the scoring in the sixth minute. Just a minute later André Gomes ran on to Alcácer’s back-heel pass to leave three players for dead before turning a shot past the keeper, and soon afterwards Otamendi powered in to head a Piatti corner in to the net. Atleti finally got their act together, and Mandzukic headed one back after Diego Alves could only push out a long shot from Tiago. A few minutes later Barragán was lucky to be let off a penalty for hands, but with the first half coming to a close the visitors were awarded a spot kick after the ball hit Gayà on the arm. However Alves guessed correctly to save Siqueira’s shot, and the keeper made an important save from Mandzukic early in the second half. Simeone brought on Cerci, but although the Italian international thought he had scored, the referee ruled out the strike as he considered that he had controlled the ball with his upper arm, sending him off as well for a second bookable offence. A big defeat for Atleti, and their epic midweek victory over Juventus appears to have taken its toll.

Plenty of goals elsewhere, with Eibar and Levante sharing the spoils in an exciting 3-3 tie. On paper this was a banker’s goal-less draw, the Basque side making a fortress of their Ipurúa stadium, and the visitors having only scored one goal all season. However Morales opened the scoring for the Valencia based team with only two minutes gone, the ex-Eibar forward beating Irureta with an angled shot after Diop’s cross was only partly cleared. Debutant keeper Diego Mariño had to be at his best to save a couple of efforts by Saúl Berjón and Albentosa at the other end, but with the first half coming to a close Camarasa scored Levante’s second after a Morales shot was blocked by a defender. Just a minute after the restart however the locals got one back when Javi Lara’s cross deflected in off Pedro López’s chest, and with twenty minute to go Saúl equalized with a spectacular first time volley from Javi Lara’s centre. Piovaccari got the ball in the net soon afterwards only for the strike to be ruled out for a non-existent offside, and a few minutes later Víctor Casadesús restored the lead for the away side with a shot from the edge of the area. Eibar didn’t give up though, and with the game in injury time Albentosa battled though, and Piovaccari picked up the rebound and beat Mariño with a shot on the turn to make it all square once again.

Almería and Elche also picked up a point each in a 2-2 draw later in the evening. Earlier results elsewhere meant that the visitors started the game down in the bottom three, but they soon took the lead, Víctor Rodríguez heading in a Jonathas cross after a poor clearance by Ximo Navarro. Jonathas blasted a long shot just over the top soon afterwards, but with eight minutes to go to the break the locals were awarded a dubious penalty by Del Cerro Grande after Albácar tripped Welington Silva on the edge of the area, and Verza stepped up to equalize. Ten minutes in to the second half Jonathas put Elche back in front, running on to long punt by Mosquera and firing an impressive shot in to the near top corner of the net, but ten minutes after that he got himself sent off after picking up a second booking for controlling the ball with his hand. Silva went close a couple of times after the locals pushed forward, and with eight minutes to go Hemed bundled the ball and the keeper in to the net following a corner to save a point for his team. .

Elsewhere Málaga came from behind to beat regional rivals Granada 2-1, a result which took them in to the top half of the table pending Sunday’s games. Javi Gracia’s side had not won since the opening day of the season, and they found themselves behind with less than a minute on the clock, El-Arabi beating Kameni after the keeper could only push out Rochina’s shot. Horta fired a long shot wide and Santa Cruz brought a good save out of Roberto either side of half time though, and with an hour on the clock Santa Cruz coolly stroke the rebound in to an empty net after Roberto saved at the feet of Juanmi. The locals were left with ten men when Angeleri tripped Success just outside of the area, Rico’s resulting free kick being blocked. However with ten minutes to go Antunes put the home side in front from the penalty spot after Castillejo’s cross hit Iturra on the arm, and Kameni made sure of the three points when he pushed a first time volley by Nyom on to the post. The day’s results meant that Córdoba returned to the bottom three after climbing out of the drop zone the previous evening, and Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo join them in the relegation spots pending their matches on Sunday. (04.10.14)

A tense game on Friday evening, with Getafe and Córdoba sharing the points in the end in a 1-1 draw. Both sides needed a result, the visitors starting at the bottom of the pack without a win in their first six games, and their hosts just three points above them in the table. Neither team really threatened to score though in the opening forty-five minutes, Yoda going closest for the locals with a shot over the bar and another at keeper Juan Carlos, and Ghilas seeing a shot deflected wide by Naldo at the other end shortly before the break. The second half continued in the same vein until twelve minutes from the end, when a defensive mistake allowed Ekeng to run through and put the visitors ahead with an angled shot in off the far post. That woke up Cosmin Contra’s side, and Hinestroza hit the post before substitute Babá got on the end of Escudero’s cross to save a point with two minutes to go. (03.10.14)