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Match round-up - First Division, Day 11

Real Madrid opened up a five point lead at the top pending Barcelona’s game later in the evening after beating neighbours Leganés 3-0 on Sunday lunchtime. The newly promoted side were making their first ever visit to the Bernabeu stadium, but they held their own early on, only a header over the bar from Morata and a shot over the top from Ronaldo causing any problems for Serantes in the opening minutes. However with seven minutes to go to the break Bale picked up a long ball from Isco to force his way past the visiting keeper and open the scoring, and with the first half coming to a close the Welsh forward added a second after a Kroos free kick fell to him close to goal. Before that Szymanowski had seen his shot deflected over the bar by Varane, but soon after the restart only a couple of good saves by Serantes prevented Bale from completing his hat-trick. With twenty minutes to go Szymanowski got free on goal only to see Keylor Navas tip his shot over the bar, and five minutes later Morata picked up a Kroos through ball to make it three. James and Ronaldo fired free kicks wide of the mark after that, but Zidane’s side had already made sure of a 28 th game in a row without defeat, 23 of those coming in the league.

Barcelona didn’t fail though, and they stay two points behind the leaders in second spot after beating Sevilla 1-2 in the last match of the weekend. The game got off to a lively start, Vietto and Luis Suárez bringing early saves out of Ter Stegen and Sergio Rico, and Vitolo latching on to Sarabia’s long pass to run on past Sergi Roberto and steer a shot past the visiting keeper. Sarabia, Vietto and Vitolo all missed chances as the locals controlled the first half, but with four minutes to go to the break Messi levelled the scores with a low shot past Rico after Neymar laid the ball back from left of the area. After the restart Nasri fired a shot at the keeper when free on goal, but Rico had to save from Rakitic and Messi, and with an hour on the clock Messi slipped the ball through for Luis Suárez to beat the keeper for a second time. After that N’Zonzi came close to levelling it with a header just wide following a corner, and only a great save by Rico prevented Suárez from adding a third for the visitors. Luis Enrique’s side took the three points though, and Sevilla drop out of the Champions League spots to fifth as a result.

Villarreal move up to third after a 2-0 victory against Betis, the result leaving the Andalusians just two points above the drop zone. The locals dominated for most of the match, Musacchio heading over the top before Manu Trigueros opened the scoring with an impressive shot from some thirty yards out. Later on in the first half Víctor Ruíz turned a shot against the bar following a free kick, and some eight minutes after the restart Roberto Soriano cut across from the left to make it two. Adán had to save a couple of times from Bakambu soon afterwards, and the visitors didn’t trouble the local goal until Alex Martínez and Nahuel fired shots wide near the end. It was a fourth defeat in five games for the Andalusians, and all signs are that coach Gustavo Poyet will not be staying at the club much longer.

Athletic Bilbao are now two points below the European spots after they drew 0-0 at Espanyol. Valverde made no less than seven changes from the side which won against Genk on Thursday night, and they paid the price, the Catalans having by far the better chances in the first half. However Leo Baptistao, Hernán Pérez and Gerard Moreno all failed to find the target, and Kepa was only tested by a shot from Piatti shortly before the break. After the restart Aduríz and Eraso fired shots over the top, Moreno headed a late chance at the keeper, and substitute Caicedo caused a few problems for the visiting defence. In the end though both teams settled for a point, and the Espanyol fans still haven’t seen their team win at home this season.

Celta are level with Athletic on points after they beat Valencia 2-1 in the Balaidos stadium. The visitors had the better start, Nani bringing a good save out of Rubén Blanco before Dani Parejo put them ahead from the penalty spot after David Costas brought down Rodrigo in the area. However with half time approaching Roncaglia picked up the ball in the area and curled a shot in off the far post, and another good save by Blanco from Nani kept the scores level at the interval. Medrán, Parejo and Rodrigo all had chances for the Ches after the restart, but Aspas and Guidetti went close, and with a quarter of an hour to go Guidetti got on the end of a Marcelo Díaz cross to head home the winner. (06.11.16)

Third placed Atlético Madrid were the only one of Spain’s Champions League sides to play on Saturday, and they lost ground on the top two after a 2-0 defeat at sixth ranked Real Sociedad. There were chances at both ends in the first half, Yuri, Zurutuza and Willian José going close for the locals and Vela testing Oblak, Saúl bringing a good save out of Rulli, and Gameiro lobbing a shot against the post. However some ten minutes in to the second half Yuri fell under a challenge from Gabi, and Carlos Vela stepped up to slot home the resulting penalty. Vela fired a volley over the bar soon afterwards, and with a quarter of an hour to go Willian José made it two with a second penalty after Correa brought down Vela in the area. Carrasco shot wide and Griezmann brought a good save out of Rulli as the visitors tried to get back in the game, but it was a second away defeat in a row for Simeone’s side, and they end the match just two points above their hosts in the table.

It was a day for penalties though, with the last two matches both decided by a single spot kick. Alavés move up safely to mid-table after they won 0-1 against neighbours Osasuna, the result leaving the Pamplona based side further down in the relegation spots. Toquero saw his early effort cleared off the line by Nauzet, but the ex Athletic striker had to clear off the line himself at the other end from a shot by Sergio León later on in the first half. After the interval Camarasa fired a long shot just over the top, and Pacheco did well to keep out a volley from Kodro. However with a quarter of an hour to go David García brought down Theo Hernández, and although the foul appeared to be just outside of the area, referee Ocón Arráiz awarded a penalty which Christian Santos converted.

Elsewhere Las Palmas beat Eibar 1-0 thanks to a last minute penalty which Jonathan Viera fired home after Lejeune tripped Roque inside the area. Up to that point honours had been shared, Pedro León causing some problems for Raúl Lizoain, Araujo heading against the upright, and Jonathan Viera bringing a couple of good saves from Riesgo later on in the first half. After the break Dani Castellano cleared off the line from a Kike García header, and Araujo went close a couple of times. Escalante headed a good chance wide near the end, but Viera kept his cool to score the winner which takes the Canary Islanders a point above their opponents in the table.

The day kicked off with the relegation battle between Granada and Deportivo, the game ending 1-1 to leave the hosts further down at the foot of the table, and take the visitors a point clear of the bottom three. It was a tense match, and chances were few and far between in the first half. After the restart Çolak tested Ochoa with a free kick, and Cancela misjudged an easy header from a corner, the ball cannoning off his shin. However some twenty minutes in to the second half Çolak put Andone through on goal, and although Ochoa got a hand to his first shot, the Romanian striker forced the rebound in to the net for his first goal with his new club. A few minutes later Babel got the ball in the net following a corner only for referee Undiano Mallenco to disallow the strike for a non-existent offside, and with ten minutes to go the Andalusians equalized, Tyton deflecting Barral’s cross in to his own net under pressure from Lombán. (05.11.16)

Málaga came from behind twice to beat Sporting Gijón 3-2 on Friday evening, the result taking the Andalusians to within a point of the European spots and leaving Abelardo’s side down in the bottom three pending the rest of the weekend games. Viguera combined with Duje Cop to open the scoring in the twelfth minute, but Sandro went close a couple of times, and with half time approaching Pablo Fornals levelled the scores after two previous shots from substitute Michael Santos were blocked. Just three minutes in to the second half Cop restored the lead with a well struck free kick, but once again the hosts pegged them back, Sandro steering a header past Cuéllar from a Javi Ontiveros cross. Soon afterwards Sporting were left with ten men when Lillo was sent off for a second bookable offence, and with twelve minutes to go Santos headed a Juan Carlos centre past the keeper for the winner. (04.11.16)