News Archive

Match round-up - First Division, Day 17

Barcelona are nine points clear at the top of the table after a 0-3 victory against Real Madrid in the latest “clásico” on Saturday lunchtime! All the goals came after the break, Luis Suárez opening the scoring after Rakitic and Sergi Roberto combined to set him up. Messi made it two from the penalty spot after Dani Carvajal was sent off for handling in the area soon afterwards, and substitute Aleix Vidal rounded things off in injury time. The Catalans are already sure of the honorary title of winter champions after the four teams below them all lost, Valencia missing out on a chance to return to second spot following a 0-1 defeat against regional neighbours Villarreal later in the afternoon. Bacca got the only goal midway through the first half to keep his team in sixth spot. The last match of the year was the Galician derby between Deportivo and Celta, the visitors winning 1-3 to move up to eleventh and leave their hosts still down in the relegation zone. Daniel Wass headed an early opener and Iago Aspas added two more either side of the break before Andone got one back later on. (23.12.17)

Atlético Madrid were just two minutes away from ending the year unbeaten away from home, but a late strike by Espanyol’s Sergio García on Friday gave the Catalans a 1-0 victory which takes them away from the danger zone. It was also a first defeat in the league this season for Simeone’s side, who may lose out on second spot if Valencia win on Saturday. Athletic Bilbao meanwhile are safely up to mid-table after they beat Betis 0-2 earlier in the evening. Raúl García started things off from the penalty spot after Amat was sent off for a foul on Laporte shortly before half time, and Feddal put through his own net near the end. (22.12.17)

Eibar moved above Getafe and Real Sociedad to seventh spot after a 4-1 victory over Girona on Thursday, the Basque side now having taken sixteen points from their last six games. The Catalans themselves were looking to end the year in the top six, but although a Timor free kick pegged one back after early strikes by Inui and Charles, Inui and Jordan added two more after the break to tie up the three points. Further down the table, Alavés inched out of the relegation spots after a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Málaga. Munir got the only goal with an hour on the clock to take his team above Deportivo on goal difference, and leave the Andalusians joint bottom with Las Palmas. (21.12.17)

Getafe and Real Sociedad are within a point of the European spots pending the rest of the week’s games after they both won on Wednesday. Getafe beat bottom club Las Palmas 2-0, the goals coming early on through Cala and Amath. And Real Sociedad won 3-1 against fifth placed Sevilla, an Iñigo Martínez header cancelled out by a Ben Yedder strike before the break, but goals by Zubeldia and Carlos Vela (his last before moving on to the MLS) won it for the Basque side. Las Palmas confirmed that Paco Jémez will be their third coach of the seasonbut, after three poor results in a row, Sevilla have decided to fire Berizzo, who had just returned to the bench after an operation for prostate cancer. (20.12.17)

The last round of games of the Calendar year will be spread over five days (leading up to the “clásico” between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Saturday), Levante and Leganés kicking things off with a fairly eventless 0-0 draw on Tuesday evening. (19.12.17)