Valencia climbed above Sevilla into third with a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Sunday as they stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games in all competitions.
Valencia warmed up for their weekend clash with rivals Real Madrid at the Mestalla Stadium with a fine win at San Mames to move three points behind Madrid in the standings, with Barcelona eight points ahead having played one game more. Substitute Iker Muniain, who holds the record as the youngest player to score in the Spanish top-flight, put Bilbao ahead on 58 minutes, but David Villa equalized three minutes later with his 11th goal of the season.
Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu netted the winner on 83 minutes, but Valencia had to survive a late scare when David Lopez missed a penalty for Bilbao in the closing minutes.
PHOTO: EPA
Spanish international defender Joan Capdevila scored a brace as nine-men Villarreal twice came from behind to defeat Getafe 3-2 at El Madrigal and continue their surge up the table after the worst start in their history.
Capdevila’s international teammate, Santi Cazorla, had equalized with a superb volley before Capdevila scored the winner with three minutes remaining to sink Getafe and move into mid-table as Villarreal atone for their nightmare start.
“This is a good win for us ahead of our next match against Atletico Madrid,” Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde said.
PHOTO: AFP
A superb first-time volley from Pedro Leon, who seems to specialize in great goals, gave Getafe a third-minute lead before Capdevila, who scores a lot for a left back, equalized on 17 minutes.
Minutes into the second half Cani was sent off for conceding a penalty and Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez, who saved two penalties in his last league match, was helpless to stop Robert Soldado’s fierce spot-kick.
Cazorla came on for Robert Pires on 66 minutes and had an immediate impact volleying in a terrific equalizer 60 seconds later.
PHOTO: AFP
Capdevila then bagged the winner after great work from Joseba Llorente gave the Euro 2008 winner an easy tap-in.
“Without doubt this was our worst game of the season,” Getafe coach Michel fumed.
Earlier on Sunday, Real Mallorca continued their perfect home record cruising to a 4-1 win over Real Zaragoza for a seventh successive league victory at their fortress Ono Stadium to close to within a point of fifth-placed Deportivo La Coruna.
Top-scorer Aritz Aduriz netted a brace either side of the break to take his season’s tally to seven goals as Mallorca made it a perfect 21 points at home, with Barcelona and Real Madrid the only other two teams with a flawless home record.
“The players are ambitious to have a good season and it is not by chance that we are up there as we are a good 13 games into the season,” Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano said.
Spanish La Liga
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Barcelona | 14 | 26 | 36 |
2 | Real Madrid | 13 | 20 | 31 |
3 | Valencia | 13 | 12 | 28 |
4 | Sevilla | 13 | 13 | 27 |
5 | Deportivo La Coruna | 13 | 3 | 25 |
6 | Real Mallorca | 13 | 10 | 24 |
7 | Sporting Gijon | 13 | 2 | 20 |
8 | Athletic Bilbao | 13 | 0 | 20 |
9 | Getafe | 13 | 1 | 18 |
10 | Osasuna | 13 | -2 | 16 |
11 | Villarreal | 13 | 2 | 15 |
12 | Tenerife | 13 | -12 | 14 |
13 | Atletico Madrid | 13 | -5 | 13 |
14 | Espanyol | 13 | -12 | 13 |
15 | Valladolid | 13 | -5 | 12 |
16 | Almeria | 13 | -9 | 12 |
17 | Real Zaragoza | 13 | -11 | 12 |
18 | Racing Santander | 13 | -7 | 10 |
19 | Malaga | 13 | -5 | 8 |
20 | Xerez | 14 | -21 | 7 |
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