Sevilla, Atletico stay on course for Europa spots
Source: Agencies |
April 26, 2011, Tuesday
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SEVILLA and Atletico Madrid improved their chances of playing in next season's Europa League when they beat Villarreal and Levante, respectively, in La Liga on Sunday to open a four-point gap over eighth-placed Espanyol.
Sevilla held on for a 3-2 win over Villarreal in an entertaining match at the Sanchez Pizjuan, while Argentina forward Sergio Aguero struck twice in Atletico's 4-1 win over mid-table Levante at the Vicente Calderon.
"These were some vital points against a very powerful rival," Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano said on Spanish television.
Both teams have 49 points with five games left. Sevilla is sixth ahead of Atletico thanks to a superior head-to-head record and two behind Athletic Bilbao which won 2-1 at local Basque rival Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Espanyol's miserable recent run continued when it lost 0-1 at Sporting Gijon and stays eighth on 45 points, while Villarreal, which is through to the semifinals of this season's Europa League, remains fourth on 57.
Ivan Rakitic stroked a free-kick into the top corner and Alvaro Negredo caught Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez off his line to put Sevilla 2-0 ahead inside a quarter of an hour in the Andalusian capital.
Carlos Marchena, who was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 85th minute, pulled a goal back 11 minutes after halftime before substitute Ndri Romaric restored the home side's two-goal cushion in the 62nd.
Giuseppe Rossi came off the bench to curl in a superb second for the visitors with around 20 minutes left but Sevilla held on.
Elsewhere, it was: Malaga 2, Racing Santander 1; Hercules 1, Deportivo la Coruna 0; and Mallorca 2, Getafe 0.
Barcelona maintained its eight-point lead over Real Madrid at the top when it beat Osasuna 2-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday. Real, which secured its first Copa del Rey since 1993 at Barcelona's expense last Wednesday, routed Valencia 6-3.
Sevilla held on for a 3-2 win over Villarreal in an entertaining match at the Sanchez Pizjuan, while Argentina forward Sergio Aguero struck twice in Atletico's 4-1 win over mid-table Levante at the Vicente Calderon.
"These were some vital points against a very powerful rival," Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano said on Spanish television.
Both teams have 49 points with five games left. Sevilla is sixth ahead of Atletico thanks to a superior head-to-head record and two behind Athletic Bilbao which won 2-1 at local Basque rival Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Espanyol's miserable recent run continued when it lost 0-1 at Sporting Gijon and stays eighth on 45 points, while Villarreal, which is through to the semifinals of this season's Europa League, remains fourth on 57.
Ivan Rakitic stroked a free-kick into the top corner and Alvaro Negredo caught Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez off his line to put Sevilla 2-0 ahead inside a quarter of an hour in the Andalusian capital.
Carlos Marchena, who was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 85th minute, pulled a goal back 11 minutes after halftime before substitute Ndri Romaric restored the home side's two-goal cushion in the 62nd.
Giuseppe Rossi came off the bench to curl in a superb second for the visitors with around 20 minutes left but Sevilla held on.
Elsewhere, it was: Malaga 2, Racing Santander 1; Hercules 1, Deportivo la Coruna 0; and Mallorca 2, Getafe 0.
Barcelona maintained its eight-point lead over Real Madrid at the top when it beat Osasuna 2-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday. Real, which secured its first Copa del Rey since 1993 at Barcelona's expense last Wednesday, routed Valencia 6-3.
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