RC Celta de Vigo missed a chance to move closer to the top in La Liga by drawing with RCD Espanyol 1-1 on Tuesday.
Striker Iago Aspas opened for the visitors with an acrobatic touch from inside the area in the 28th minute before Espanyol equalized with a long-range shot by forward Marco Asensio in the 39th.
Celta needed a win to move within four points of fourth-placed Villarreal, who were scheduled to play at Real Madrid yesterday.
The fourth-placed team earns a spot in a qualifying round for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The draw kept Celta in sixth place, six points behind Villarreal.
RELEGATION ZONE
The result allowed 15th-placed Espanyol to open an eight-point gap to relegation zone. The team from Barcelona is winless in four matches.
Celta and Espanyol have four games left.
Later on Tuesday, Real Betis Balompie defeated 10-man UD Las Palmas 1-0 in Seville with an 83rd-minute winner by Netherlands striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
Las Palmas played a man down from the 40th minute after defender Aythami Artiles was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.
It was the second victory in the past three games for Real Betis, who jumped up to 11th in the 20-team standings with 41 points, safely away from relegation.
Las Palmas are one point behind Real Betis in 12th place.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are tied atop the standings with 76 points, one more than Real Madrid.
All three teams were set to play yesterday.
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