Granada defender Diego Mainz scored goals for both teams in a 1-1 draw against visiting Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday.
Villarreal were also held to a 0-0 draw by last-placed Cordoba as both failed to break their respective winless runs, while RC Celta de Vigo won 1-0 at Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid beat UD Almeria to stay in the middle of the table.
Granada went ahead against the run of play in the 16th minute when Mainz shed his marker and had time to place a header from a corner-kick into the far side of the net.
Photo: AFP
The teams traded scoring opportunities before Sevilla coach Unai Emery sent on Ever Banega and winger Aleix Vidal, playing with a three-man defense from the 62nd minute.
Sevilla immediately improved and got their equalizer in the 69th minute when Vidal worked a one-two with Jose Antonio Reyes to break free on the right flank, before sending in a low cross that Mainz deflected into his own net.
That meant Sevilla wasted a chance to pull level with fourth-placed Valencia in their fight for the last UEFA Champions League berth.
“We controlled the game for long stretches and created scoring chances, and I think that if anyone deserved to win it was us,” Emery said.
Sevilla next turn back to the UEFA Europa League, where the titleholders are set to travel to Zenit Saint Petersburg on Thursday with a 2-1 advantage in their quarter-final.
Villarreal dominated their match against Cordoba and were only kept from scoring by the woodwork and Juan Carlos Martin’s inspired goalkeeping.
Villarreal’s Joel Campbell and Gerard Moreno both sent long strikes off the post, while Martin bounced back from his poor showing the previous weekend that earned him jeers from his home fans by making nine saves. Four of those saves came in the final 15 minutes, with Martin denying Campbell three times, while also getting down to parry Victor Ruiz’s header in the 87th minute.
Celta scored when Manuel “Nolito” Agudo converted a penalty five minutes before halftime after Eibar’s Didac Vila tripped Santi Mina in the penalty area.
Vila almost responded with a long strike that rattled the bar four minutes from time.
Earlier in Madrid, Ze Castro crossed for fellow centerback Antonio Amaya to head in Rayo’s first goal in the 23rd minute.
Almeria threatened to level until Gael Kakuta dribbled through the area and chipped the ball for substitute Nicolas “Miku” Ladislao to net from close range in the 90th minute.
Almeria were left on the brink of the relegation zone after their fifth consecutive loss on the road.
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