La Liga Table 2016: Sunday's Week 15 Results and Updated Standings
Vicente Iborra was the unlikely hero for Sevilla on Sunday, as he came off the bench to score a hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Celta Vigo.
The midfielder was introduced at half-time and fired the Andalusians ahead in the 51st minute before grabbing another six minutes from time. He was then handed the chance to complete his treble, slotting home from the penalty spot in the 91st minute.
It was a key three points for Jorge Sampaoli's side, who keep in touching distance of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who both won on Saturday, at the top and move five points clear of Atletico Madrid, who play Villarreal on Monday night.
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Here is a look at the results from Spain's top flight on Sunday, the updated standings and a recap of how the action panned out.
| 1 | 1 | Real Madrid | 15 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 14 | +26 |
| 2 | 2 | Barcelona | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 37 | 15 | +22 |
| 3 | 3 | Sevilla | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 |
| 4 | 4 | Real Sociedad | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 21 | +5 |
| 5 | 5 | Atletico Madrid | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 11 | +17 |
| 6 | 6 | Athletic Club | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 18 | +2 |
| 7 | 7 | Villarreal | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 10 | +9 |
| 8 | 8 | Eibar | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 19 | +2 |
| 9 | 9 | Espanyol | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 |
| 10 | 10 | Las Palmas | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 23 | +3 |
| 11 | 11 | Celta Vigo | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 29 | -5 |
| 12 | 12 | Malaga | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 22 | +2 |
| 13 | 13 | Alaves | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 17 | -3 |
| 14 | 14 | Real Betis | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 28 | -10 |
| 15 | 15 | Leganes | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -14 |
| 16 | 16 | Deportivo La Coruna | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 27 | -7 |
| 17 | 17 | Valencia | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 29 | -8 |
| 18 | 18 | Sporting Gijon | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 30 | -14 |
| 19 | 19 | Granada | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 31 | -17 |
| 20 | 20 | Osasuna | 15 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 32 | -19 |
| Eibar | 0-0 | Alaves |
| Celta Vigo | 0-3 | Sevilla |
| Espanyol | 2-1 | Sporting Gijon |
| Real Betis | 1-0 | Athletic Club |
Sunday Recap
With so much attacking talent at his disposal, Sampaoli would have been confident of his side eventually overcoming a determined Celta Vigo team. But even he wouldn't have anticipated his half-time substitution making such a massive impact on the match.
Iborra, after all, is not renowned for his attacking prowess as he typically does his best work in front of the back four. He's even played as a centre-back at times this term. However, he was a huge threat in the opposition box against Celta and joined a select group of footballers with his brilliant goalscoring feat, per OptaJose:
It was an important win for the Andalusians against a capable team, though, and one that keeps them involved in the title race.
Sampaoli's side have enjoyed a fine beginning to the campaign, and with this win, they are just seven points behind leaders Real Madrid and one behind Barcelona. It's a result that ramps up the pressure on Atletico ahead of a tricky trip to Villarreal on Monday with Real Sociedad currently sitting in fourth.
Per beIN Sports' David Cartlidge, Sampaoli again showcased his tactical acumen by making some shrewd changes to alter the course of the contest:
Earlier on in the day, Eibar missed the chance to push themselves into the top six, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Alaves.
Jose Luis Mendilibar's side have been one of the big success stories of 2016-17 so far and have showcased plenty this term to suggest they could push for an unexpected UEFA Europa League place. However, Alaves showed great determination to stifle the hosts and earn another big point as they seek to pull clear of relegation trouble.
Espanyol also continued their strong run of recent form on Sunday, as they got the better of struggling Sporting Gijon 2-1.
Felipe Caicedo gave Quique Sanchez Flores' side the lead after 54 minutes in this one, as Espanyol finally broke through the visitors' determined defensive shape. Leo Baptistao added another in the 90th minute to make the game safe, and although Duje Cop got one back for Gijon, it was far too little, too late.
The three points put Flores' improving team up into the ninth spot in the table, and the win extends their unbeaten record run to nine games.
In the last game on Sunday's schedule, Athletic Club lost ground in the battle for UEFA Champions League places, as they fell to a 1-0 loss against Real Betis.
The Basque side dominated possession and created more clear openings on the night, but it was Ruben Castro's 18th minute goal that proved to be the difference between the two sides, as Betis moved six points clear of the relegation zone.
