News Archive

First division – day 31

With the top three spots virtually tied up, all interest in La Liga now is about who will occupy the remaining European spots, and who will go down. Right now though Getafe stay in the fourth Champions League spot after they beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 on Sunday afternoon, Angel getting the only goal late on to give them their first win in four games. They remain a point above Sevilla, who move up to fifth after a 0-2 victory at Valladolid, Roque and Munir scoring for the Andalusians in the last five minutes to leave their hosts on the brink of the relegation zone. Alavés meanwhile stay in seventh place after a 1-1 draw against Leganés in the mid-day game, an early Calleri penalty appearing to have given them the three points before Jonathan Silva equalised with a cross-come-shot in injury time. Betis are now just three points below the European spots as well after they won 2-1 against Villarreal, Lo Celso netting twice for the locals and Funes Mori heading one back, and local keeper Pau López saving a Cazorla penalty after Bartra handled in the area with three minutes to go. Villarreal end the weekend in the bottom three, below Valladolid on the head-to-head goal difference, after Celta beat Real Sociedad 3-1 to climb above them. Willian José gave the visitors a first half lead from the penalty spot but was sent off after the break, and Iago Aspas (once again) converted a second penalty and heading a second before Maxi Gómez wrapped things up in the dying minutes. Some seven teams are still in the battle to avoid the drop though, although time is running out for bottom club Huesca after they drew 2-2 at Levante. Roger and Morales (from the penalty spot) twice put the locals in front, but Enric Gallego and Chimy Ávila levelled it both times to leave Levante themselves just three points above the drop zone after seven games without a win. (07.04.19)

So that’s it! The league is all but mathematically over this season after leaders Barcelona beat second placed Atlético Madrid 2-0 on Saturday to open up a gap of eleven points with only seven games to go. Any real hopes the visitors had of victory ended when an impetuous Diego Costa was sent off for insulting the referee with just under half an hour on the clock. Even so Simeone’s side held on for almost an hour, with Oblak making a string of first class saves, and they even caused some problems for Ter Stegen on the counter-attack. With five minutes to go however Luis Suárez curled a shot past the keeper to open the scoring, and just a minute later Messi made it two with yet another individualist effort. Atleti stay second, albeit now just two points ahead of their city rivals Real Madrid after Zidane’s side beat Eibar 2-1 earlier in the afternoon. It was another disappointing performance though, with protests from the crowd after Marc Cardona put the visitors in front before the break. And once again it was left to Benzema to save the day, the French striker heading in crosses from Marco Asensio and Kroos after the restart to turn the scoreline around. Elsewhere Valencia missed out on a chance to move up to fourth place after they were surprisingly beaten 2-0 by struggling Rayo Vallecano. Local keeper Alberto García saved a Dani Parejo penalty after Gálvez fouled Rodrigo early on, but Raúl De Tomás gave the locals the lead soon afterwards, and Mario Suárez headed the second in injury time to give new coach Paco Jémez a first win. That opened up the relegation battle even more, and Girona are not out of danger yet after they lost 1-2 to regional rivals Espanyol in the early kick off. Sergi Darder’s second half opener was cancelled out by a Stuani penalty with ten minutes to go, but soon afterwards a long shot from Darder hit the post and went in off the back of keeper Bono to take Rubi’s team four points clear of their hosts in the table. (06.04.19)