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Match round-up - First Division, Day 15

Deportivo climbed out of the relegation spots after a 1-0 victory over Elche on Monday evening. The two teams came in to the match in the bottom two spots of the table after the rest of the weekend’s results, the Galicians looking for their first goal in over six hours, and the visitors without a win in four games. The locals adapted quickly to the rainy conditions, Toché going close with a couple of early headers before Fariña opened the scoring, the Argentinian midfielder picking up the ball on the left of the area after Lombán headed clear a José Rodríguez cross and curling a shot in to the far top corner of the net. Jonathas forced a good save out of Fabricio before the break, but after the restart José Rodríguez could have added to the lead, first with a shot which was blocked, and then with a long effort which came back off the crossbar. In the end however it needed a couple of top class saves by Fabricio to secure the three points, firstly from a shot by Fajr which hit the keeper in the face, and then with a reflex stop from Cisma in the dying moments. (15.12.14)

More good news for leaders Real Madrid on Sunday after third placed Atlético Madrid were beaten 0-1 by Villarreal, their first home defeat in the league for 19 months and 28 games. Both teams had come through important European games midweek, and the first half was hard fought and at times physical, with Koke shooting wide early on and Tiago forcing ex Atlético keeper Sergio Asenjo into a good save a few minutes later. The visitors were looking to score on the counter-attack, Cheryshev and Vietto going close either side of half time, and they felt themselves unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty by referee Pérez Montero when Gabi handled the ball in the area shortly before the break. A few minutes in to the second half though Asenjo had to keep out Mandzukic again following a “house special” set-piece free kick, and with an hour gone the Croatian striker headed in a Turan cross only for Pérez to disallow the goal for what he considered to be a previous foul on Mario. Villarreal were always looking dangerous on the breakaway though, and Vietto and Cheryshev both wasted chances before Vietto (who had been given his debut in top flight football by Simeone when they were both at Racing Avellaneda) picked up a Moi Gómez pass and dummied past Godín to fire a shot past Moyà. That took the “Yellow Submarine above Málaga up to sixth, and left their hosts still three points behind Barcelona in the table.

Earlier in the evening fourth placed Sevilla also faltered after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Eibar in the Sánchez Pizjuán stadium. The Basques have been one of the revelation sides of the league this year, and Capa almost caught out Beto with an angled shot in the opening minutes. Irureta had to save from Banega and Diogo shot wide at the other end, but Beto had to keep out Boateng again as honours were shared in the first half. The Andalusians dominated play after the interval though, Krychowiak having a shot blocked and Irureta saving well from Gameiro, and M’bia got the ball in the net only for the strike to be ruled out as the shot went under the legs of Bacca, who was standing in an offside position. Substitute Denis Suárez also fired a couple of shots just wide, and M’bia headed another effort past the post, but in the end there was no way past a well ordered defence.

Eibar finished the day in a respectable ninth place, still the highest ranked Basque team after Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 in the last match on Sunday night. Carlos Vela headed David Moyes’ side into the lead in only the third minute on a rainy night in San Sebastian, and Iñigo Martínez should have added a second when he headed a corner wide of the post when unmarked in front of goal. Zubikarai had to save from Aduríz and Susaeta, and Iraizoz kept out Vela shortly before the break, and after the restart Muniain curled a good chance just wide of the far post. With an hour gone though Iñigo was let off a penalty appeal for hands, and the rebound came out to Susaeta, who played the ball across for De Marcos to volley home the equalizer. The visitors were left with ten men when Laporte picked up a second yellow card with ten minutes to go, but although Canales fired a free kick against the bar and then tested Iraizoz, Valverde’s team held on for a point which keeps them five above their regional rivals in the table.

Espanyol meanwhile are up to twelfth after a last minute 2-1 victory over Granada in this week’s mid-day kick-off. The Andalusians had not won in ten games, but Kiko Casilla had to be at his best to prevent Piti and El-Arabi from scoring early on. However Víctor Sánchez brought a good save out of Roberto soon afterwards, and with ten minutes to go to the break Caicedo put the Catalans ahead, latching on to a loose ball after Sergio García’s header from a Lucas Vázquez cross was blocked. Sergio García hit the bar soon after the restart, but with an hour on the clock El-Arabi levelled the scores after Piti played across a quick Riki throw-in. The visitors were left with ten men though when Juan Carlos picked up a second booking, and Sergio García, Salva Sevilla and Colotto all went close before Stuani got on the end of another Lucas Vázquez cross to volley home a late winner. The result leaves the Andalusians just two points above the drop zone pending Monday’s match between the bottom two clubs, Deportivo and Elche. (14.12.14)

Real Madrid are now sure of finishing the year in first place after their closest rivals Barcelona could only draw 0-0 at a rainy Getafe on Saturday evening. Luis Enrique was missing the injured Neymar, but Messi brought an early save out of Guaita, and Luis Suárez turned got on the end of a wayward Pedro shot soon afterwards only to poke the ball over the bar. Both teams had penalty appeals for hand ball turned down, Alves blocking Lafita’s shot with his arm and Valera deflecting a pass with his hand, and with the first half coming to an end Claudio Bravo had to be at his best to turn a shot from Lafita around the post. A few minutes in to the second half Messi rattled the crossbar with a free kick, and the Argentinian forward went close a couple more times after that. But Guaita and his defence held fast, and there was a controversial ending when Alvaro Vázquez got through in the dying seconds only for the referee to blow for full time as he advanced on goal. The result leaves Barça four points adrift of Madrid, whose match next weekend has been postponed to allow them to take part in the Club World Cup.

Valencia consolidated fifth place after they beat Rayo Vallecano 3-0 later in the evening, a first win in five games for Nuno’s side. All the goals came in the first half, Feghouli heading the first from Barragán’s cross with just under a quarter of an hour gone. Alberto Bueno fired a shot just wide at the other end and Leo Baptistao failed to take full advantage when Diego Alves tried to dribble past him and lost the ball, but Feghouli scored his second of the evening on the rebound after Cristian Alvarez pushed Negredo’s header against his own defender, and just two minutes later Piatti won the ball in midfield and ran on to Negredo’s return pass to make it three. Alves had to be at his best to keep out Baptistao and Aquino after the interval, and the Ches were left with ten men when André Gomes picked up a second booking. But even with Manucho and Licá joining the attack Rayo could not find a way through, and substitute Rodrigo could have added to the lead had Alvarez not kept him out near the end.

Málaga are up to sixth pending Sunday’s fixtures after a 1-0 victory over Celta in the last game of the evening. Visiting coach Eduardo Berrizzo made several changes to his line-up after three defeats in a row and four games without scoring, and they had the better of the opening minutes, Charles having a strike ruled out for what referee Del Cerro Grande considered to be a previous hand ball, and Orellana bringing a good save out of Kameni. With twenty minutes on the clock however Samuel headed a Santa Cruz cross past Sergio Alvarez, and the keeper had to make saves from Camacho and Santa Cruz later in the first half to prevent the locals from going further ahead. After the restart Celta came back, Charles coming up against Kameni and then seeing another goal overturned for a more than dubious offside. Recio and Boka both failed to convert chances at the other end and Kameni had to keep out Augusto Fernández, Sergi Gómez and Nolito, but in the end it was Samuel’s goal which was the difference between the two teams.

Further down the rankings Córdoba edged away from the relegation spots after drawing 0-0 against Levante. Last week’s first win in Bilbao had taken them off the bottom of the pile above Deportivo and Elche, and Almería’s defeat on Friday meant that Djukic’s side actually started the match outside of the bottom three, just three points below their opponents in the table. The coach kept faith with the line-up he used in the San Mamés stadium, but the visitors adapted quicker to the rainy conditions, Ivanschitz, Casadesús and Barral all going close early on. Fidel fired a long shot at Diego Mariño and Deivid headed wide in reply, but soon after the restart Barral turned a cross in to the side netting, and Juan Carlos had to be on his toes to keep out an Ivanschitz header. Fede and Borja tested Mariño again later on, and Ghilas and Borja both failed to hit the target in the dying minutes, but in the end a draw was a fair result. (13.12.14)

Real Madrid go off to the Club World Cup in Morocco knowing that they have secured top spot for another week at least after beating Almería 1-4 on Friday night. Kroos saw an early volley deflected on to the bar by a defender, and Isco opened the scoring for Ancelotti’s side with just over half an hour gone, controlling Benzema’s cross on his chest before curling a shot wide of the keeper. Soon afterwards Verza equalized with a low shot from outside of the area after Varane could only head Macedo’s cross in to his path, but Bale headed the visitors back in front from a Kroos centre shortly before the break. Casillas had to save a Verza penalty however after Marcelo tripped Edgar in the area after the restart, and there were some nervous moments before Ronaldo added two late goals, the first after a quick passing move, and the second with a shot inside the near post after Carvajal laid the ball back from the right wing. Madrid extend their record winning run to twenty matches and open up a five point gap over their rivals pending the rest of the weekend games, but their hosts drop below Córdoba in to the relegation zone after nine matches without a victory. Their B team coach Miguel Rivera was in charge for this one after Francisco was fired earlier in the week, but Juan Ignacio Martínez (known affectionately as JIM) was in the crowd, and is expected to take over next week. A hard job, but on this performance they have the raw material to survive. (12.12.14)