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Match round-up - First Division, Day 9

Real Madrid are back at the top of the table after a 2-1 victory over sixth placed Athletic Bilbao in the last match on Sunday night. Benzema fired Zidane’s team in to an early lead after Isco set him up, and Ronaldo tested Iraizoz with a long shot soon afterwards. Keylor Navas had to save from Williams though, and midway through the first half Sabin levelled the scores after Eraso played the ball back to him. Some six minutes in to the second half Williams wasted a good chance to put the visitors in front when he shot over the top with only the keeper to beat, but Madrid themselves were not finding the target, Ronaldo in particular shooting wide on three or four occasions. However with seven minutes left on the clock substitute Morata finally got the winner, forcing the ball over the line after Iraizoz blocked his first effort from Bale’s centre. Williams and Ronaldo could both have changed the scoreline after that when free on goal, but this was not their night.

Sevilla are up to second after they beat last week’s leaders Atlético Madrid 1-0 earlier in the evening, the defeat leaving Simeone’s team right down in fifth place. Both sides had chances before the break, Oblak saving a header from N’Zonzi, Rico keeping out his ex-team mate Gameiro, and Correa shooting wide. Soon after the restart Nasri hit the post with a shot from the edge of the area, and Oblak and Rico had to be on their toes to keep out Vitolo and Filipe Luis. The only goal though came from an innocuous throw-in with a quarter of an hour or so to go, Vietto lobbing a return pass over for N’Zonzi to run on and fire a shot past the Slovenian keeper. A few minutes later the visitors were left with ten men when Koke was shown a second yellow card for a hard tackle on Rami, and Atleti were beaten for the first time this season.

Villarreal end the weekend in fourth spot, level on points with Barcelona and two behind the leaders, after they won 2-1 against Las Palmas. The locals had a goal disallowed for offside early on, but Sergi Asenjo had to save from Jonathan Viera, and with half an hour gone the Canary Islanders went ahead with one of the goals of the season, Tana flicking Viera’s lofted pass across the area with his heel, and Boateng beating the keeper with a spectacular scissors kick. However Sansone made it all square with a hotly disputed penalty after the referee ruled that Roque had fouled the Italian striker in the area, the locals taking advantage of their opponents being temporarily down to ten men with Macedo being treated for an injury on the touchline. A few minutes later Bakambu fired a good chance over the top, and with the game in injury time Bakambu ran on to Roberto Soriano’s return pass to fire home a winner which keeps up his team’s unbeaten record this season.

Celta are now just two points below the European spots after they beat local rivals Deportivo 4-1 in the mid-day game. The locals had the better of the opening minutes, Lux tipping an Aspas header over the bar and Hugo Mallo having a penalty appeal turned down. With half an hour gone Mallo latched on to Orellana’s pass to turn an angled shot past the visiting keeper, but just five minutes later Albentosa headed in a long Fayçal Fajr free kick to level the scores. A quarter of an hour in to the second half however Aspas restored the lead from the penalty spot after Sidnei handled in the area, and Orellana got in front of his marker to head a third from Jonny’s cross. And with seven minutes to go Aspas wrapped things up after running on to a long clearance from Sergio Alvarez to leave Depor just above the relegation zone, only ahead of Sporting on goal difference.

Málaga are only a point below Celta in the table after they thrashed Leganés 4-0 later in the day. The visitors though had won three of their four games away from home this season, and Szymanowski, Víctor Díaz and Luciano Nieves all tested Kameni early on. Serantes had to save from Sandro however, and the Andalusians scored twice in the build up to half time, Jony converting a penalty after Medjani tripped Pablo Fornals in the area, and Chory Castro running on to Sandro’s through ball to send the visiting keeper the wrong way before shooting inside the near post. After the restart Sandro headed the third after Mantovani blocked a shot from Duda, and although Szymanowski went inches wide with a clever lob later on, Camacho completed the scoring with a looping header from a long Duda free kick in time added on. (23.10.16)

Barcelona are the overnight leaders after a last minute 2-3 win over Valencia on Saturday afternoon. Luis Enrique lost Iniesta to a bad knee injury early on, but a few minutes later Messi fired the Catalans in to the lead, the referee waving away claims that Luis Suárez was interfering with play from an offside position. Diego Alves had to save a couple of times from Messi and Luis Suárez before the break, and soon after the restart Rakitic failed to find the net after the keeper blocked an effort from Neymar. Ex Barça striker Munir levelled the scores however after connecting with Dani Parejo’s cross, and just four minutes later Rodrigo beat Ter Stegen again with a shot on the turn to turn the scoreline around. Luis Suárez levelled the scores again though after Rakitic’s header was saved, and with the game in injury time Messi converted a last gasp penalty after Abdennour fouled Suárez in the area to give the visitors the three points. That did provoke some ugly scenes as angy fans threw a hail of objects at the celebrating Barça players, but thankfully for the sake of order the final whistle went soon afterwards.

All the other top teams play tomorrow, and Real Sociedad took advantage to close to within two points of the European spots after a 3-0 victory over Basque neighbours Alavés. Rulli had to save from an Edgar header early on, but midway through the first half Xabi Prieto headed the locals in to the lead from a Carlos Martínez cross. Edgar and Camarasa went close in reply, but Willan José and Vela tested Pacheco before Willan José made it two, controlling a Raúl Navas centre before lifting the ball over the head of the keeper. Soon afterwards Pacheco had to save from Oyarzabal, and Edgar wasted a chance to catch Rulli off his line when his long shot went wide of the mark. With two minutes to go however Vela got on the end of Oyarzabal’s cross to wrap things up and take his side three points clear of their opponents in the table.

Real also move a point above another of their neighbours Eibar, who drew 3-3 at Espanyol in the lunchtime kick-off. The Catalans were desperately in need of points, and Piatti brought a couple of early saves out of Riesgo. However midway through the first half Segi Enrich opened the scoring for the visitors after Kike García played on Pedro León’s cross, and just four minutes later Diego Reyes sliced Inui’s cross in to his own net trying to clear. And with the first half coming to a close Kike García put the Basque side three up after Fran Rico and Sergi Enrich combined to set him up. The home fans booed their players off the park at the break, but some twenty minutes in to the second half substitute Hernán Pérez got one back with a shot from outside of the area, and ten minutes after that Piatti scored a second after Moreno’s centre fell to him in front of goal. With six minutes to go the local side’s hopes seemed to have been lost when Caicedo was sent off for a second bookable offence, but with the game in injury time Leo Baptistao ran through to fire home the equalizer.

Espanyol stay just above the drop zone, ahead of Sporting Gijón on goal difference after the Asturians drew 0-0 at bottom club Granada in the last match of the evening. It was a tense game with very few chances, the only shot on target in the first half coming from Burgui, Ochoa having no problems keeping it out. Cuéllar did have to come out of his area to head clear from Bueno before the break, and after the restart the visiting keeper made the save of the night when Rubén Vezo headed on a long free kick. Later in the second half Ochoa had to save from Carlos Castro and Duje Cop, and with the game coming to an end Viguera and Cop both failed to react when a long free kick was headed across the area. A first clean sheet of the season at least for the Andalusians, but they remain firmly anchored to the foot of the table having only picked up three points all season. (22.10.16)

Betis moved up seven places to ninth pending the rest of the weekend fixtures after beating Osasuna 1-2 in the Friday night game. Joaquín gave the Andalusians an early lead, running on to a lofted Petros pass and getting ahead of Nauzet to hook the ball in to the net. Felipe Gutiérrez had to clear off the line from Riera though, and Sergio León shot just wide, and just three minutes in to the second half Roberto Torres equalized after an Alex Berebguer shot came back off the post. From then on however the visitors were on top, Unai clearing in front of goal from Sanabria, Joaquín and Sanabria shooting wide, and Nauzet keeping out Sanabria, Mandi and Gutiérrez. With three minutes to go the locals were left with ten men when substitute Rivière kicked out in retaliation at Brasanac, and with the game already in injury time Gutiérrez got the winner with a long free kick to leave the Pamplona based team still down in next to bottom spot. (21.10.16)