Valencia climbed above Atletico Madrid and Sevilla into third place in La Liga when Alvaro Negredo came off the bench to score a late winner in a 3-2 home victory over his former club UD Almeria on Saturday.
Captain Dani Parejo fired Valencia ahead in the 11th minute at the Estadio Mestalla when he clipped home an Antonio Barragan cross, but Almeria forward Tomer Hemed leveled two minutes later when he turned in a Wellington cross.
Rodrigo restored Valencia’s lead in the 29th minute, before Hemed grabbed his second in the 33rd to become the all-time Israeli top scorer in La Liga with 25 goals, surpassing the tally of 24 amassed by former RC Celta de Vigo midfielder Haim Revivo at the end of the 1990s.
Photo: AFP
Negredo, who has yet to spark since sealing a loan move from Manchester City and who played for Almeria between 2007 and 2009, missed a couple of headers as Valencia pressed for a winner, but made amends when he nodded powerfully into the net seven minutes from time.
Valencia have 38 points at the halfway point of their season, the same as Atletico Madrid, who were due to play at bottom side Granada yesterday, but above the champions on goal-difference.
The pair are two points ahead of fifth-placed Sevilla, who were due to host seventh-placed Malaga yesterday.
Valencia coach Nuno told a press conference the club, recently taken over by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, were on track to meet their goal of qualifying for Europe, which they failed to do last season.
“The team is improving every day,” the Portuguese said. “We must congratulate the players, but keep them on their toes for what lies ahead.”
Leaders Real Madrid had 42 points ahead of their match at Getafe yesterday, while second-placed Barcelona, a point behind their archrivals having played one game more, were due to visit RC Deportivo de La Coruna.
Sixth-placed Villarreal rubbed salt in Athletic Bilbao’s wounds when they beat them 2-0 at El Madrigal, the struggling Basque side’s fifth defeat in their past six matches.
Russia international Denis Cheryshev opened the scoring three minutes before halftime when he rounded goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and crashed an angled shot high into the empty net, before captain Bruno Soriano netted an 83rd-minute penalty.
The win lifted Villarreal to within a point of Sevilla, while Bilbao stayed in 13th, level on 19 points with 12th-placed regional rivals Real Sociedad.
Sociedad’s bid to climb away from the relegation places suffered a setback when they were beaten 1-0 at home by Rayo Vallecano de Madrid and then whistled by their own supporters.
Sociedad have stabilized since former Manchester United and Everton manager David Moyes took over in November last year after a poor start to the campaign, but their latest setback came after they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Villarreal on Wednesday last week.
Rayo secured the points at Sociedad’s Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian when Angola international Manucho outjumped the home defense at an 81st-minute corner and headed past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
It was no more than the visitors deserved after a lackluster performance from Sociedad, who lacked creativity and penetration in attack, and it showed Moyes has plenty of work to do if the Basques are to retain their top-flight status.
Sociedad, who have beaten Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico at home, but stumbled against teams of lesser caliber, and Bilbao are three points above the relegation zone.
RCD Espanyol moved up to ninth place on 23 points when Felipe Caicedo, who scored twice in the Copa del Rey last week when the Barcelona-based club knocked out Valencia, struck in the 90th minute to snatch a 1-0 win at home to 11th-placed RC Celta de Vigo.
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