First Division - Day 35

Albacete 3 - Levante 1

Albacete: Gaspercic; Santi, Buades, Agus, Mingo; Redondo, Viaud (Oscar Montiel 56'), Mark González (Peralta 56'), Peña; Francisco, Mikel (Gaspar 87'). 4-4-2.
Levante: Mora; Descarga, Camacho, Alexis, Harte (Congo 61'); Ettien, Tito (Celestini 80'), Rivera, Nacho; Manchev (Reggi 61'), Sergio García. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Albacete: Gaspercic, Buades, Redondo, Mikel for Valbuena, Gaspar, Jaime, Pacheco / Levante: Descarga, Ettien, Tito, Nacho, Manchev for Pinillos, Jesule, Juanma, Jofre, Reggi.

Goals:
1-0. 38. Francisco. Ran on to Viaud pass to beat keeper from close up.
2-0. 51. Redondo. Picked up Francisco headed pass and poked shot past Mora.
3-0. 53. Mark González. Got ahead of Camacho to head up into top of net.
3-1. 59. Sergio García. Header down on far post from right sided free kick

Albacete kept their faint hopes of survival intact after beating fellow strugglers Levante 3-1, their first win in three months, although it would still take a near miracle for them to stay up. Mark González went close a couple of times before Francisco put the Manchegans into the lead, picking up a long ball out of defence from Viaud to beat Camacho and shoot past Mora. Redondo added a second soon after the restart when Francisco headed back a cross from Mark González, and González added the third himself just two minutes later. There was bad news for local manager Martín Monteagudo though, the Chilean winger being stretchered off after breaking his cruciate knee ligament in the fall.

Levante were under new management, B team coach José Luis Oltra taking over from Bernd Schuster after he was sacked last week, and there was a moment of joy when Sergio García headed one back. But that lasted a short time as García got himself sent off after laying in to Oscar Montiel as he tried to prevent the visiting players from returning the ball to the centre spot, and Santi followed him as he too got involved in the fray.

Oltra brought on two fresh forwards, but Reggi blotted his copy book by insulting the referee to become the third player to be sent for an early bath. Soon afterwards the referee called it a day, leaving Albacete needing to win all their remaining games and Levante to lose all theirs to have a chance of staying up. The Valencia based side do have a hard end to the season though, with games against Barcelona, Valencia and Villarreal to come, and they have now only taken one point from their last seven games. But Mallorca also enter into the equation, and they are only three points behind Levante with a much easier programme.