La Liga Table 2017 Week 18: Standings and Final Scores After Sunday

Substitute Stevan Jovetic ended Real Madrid's record-setting, 40-match unbeaten run by netting a stoppage-time winner to give Sevilla a 2-1 victory at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Sunday.

Jovetic, on loan from Inter Milan, lashed a long-range shot into the bottom corner deep into injury time after a Sergio Ramos own goal had let Sevilla equalise. The Spain international headed into his own net to earn his former club a foothold on the game.

His own goal cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo's successful 67th-minute penalty for Real in the second half.

The stalemate means the Liga leaders are now just two points ahead of rivals Barcelona, although Los Blancos have played a game less. Sevilla may be the bigger threat after moving back into second and just one point off top spot.

The significant stalemate came on a day when Celta Vigo and Eibar both earned key wins. Meanwhile, relegation strugglers Granada, Osasuna and Sporting Gijon all dropped precious points.

Here are the scores from Sunday's matches:

Home	Score	Away
Valencia	2-1	Espanyol
Celta Vigo	1-0	Alaves
Granada	1-1	Osasuna
Sporting Gijon	2-3	Eibar
Sevilla	2-1	Real Madrid

Here's what those results mean for the standings:

Position	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goal Difference	Points
1	Real Madrid	17	12	4	1	30	40
2	Sevilla	18	12	3	3	16	39
3	Barcelona	18	11	5	2	30	38
4	Atletico Madrid	18	10	4	4	18	34
5	Villarreal	18	8	7	3	14	31
6	Real Sociedad	17	9	2	6	3	29
7	Athletic Bilbao	18	8	4	6	3	28
8	Celta Vigo	18	8	3	7	-3	27
9	Eibar	18	7	5	6	1	26
10	Las Palmas	18	6	6	6	-2	24
11	Espanyol	18	5	8	5	-3	23
12	Alaves	18	5	7	6	-3	22
13	Malaga	17	5	6	6	-3	21
14	Real Betis	18	6	3	9	-10	21
15	Deportivo La Coruna	18	4	6	8	-5	18
16	Leganes	18	4	5	9	-16	17
17	Valencia	17	4	4	9	-7	16
18	Sporting Gijon	18	3	3	12	-18	12
19	Granada	18	1	7	10	-24	10
20	Osasuna	18	1	6	11	-21	9

Recap

Considering they recently shared six goals in the Copa del Rey, Real and Sevilla engaged in a fairly cagey first half back in league action. It was a case of cancelling each out, with Los Blancos doing most of the nullifying.

Manager Zinedine Zidane had opted for a major tactical change to try and counteract Sevilla's high pressing and quick passing. ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan had the details:

The tactic appeared to work, even though Corrigan spelled out the risks of such a large change:

A tough tussle in the first half was best summed up by the physical battle in midfield. Holding players Casemiro and Steven N'Zonzi asked for and gave no quarter.

Sevilla linchpin N'Zonzi did his best to control possession, per OptaJose:

By contrast, Casemiro, who is the unsung hero at the heart of Real's success, made his mark as a more destructive influence:

Yet for all the hurly-burly in the middle, the game was not short on quality; passing was incisive and intelligent from both teams.

One player stood out thanks to the way he used the ball. Real playmaker Luka Modric earned high praise from Sport 360's Andy West after another typically stylish showing in possession during the opening 45 minutes:

The game exploded on the hour mark after right-back Dani Carvajal's excellent run was met by a clumsy challenge from Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Ronaldo was subsequently unerring from the spot.

Things looked good for Real, until Ramos made a mess of trying to clear a delivery from former Real Madrid B player Pablo Sarabia. The defender's gaffe set the stage for Jovetic to play hero.

Andres Cordero of beIN Sports USA noted how classy forward Jovetic has enjoyed a terrific start to life with Sevilla:

Earlier, Valencia scored two excellent goals to beat Espanyol at the Mestalla. The first came via a slick combination in the final third, one rounded off by Martin Montoya.

Kieran Canning of Agence France-Presse described the move, while also hailing the impact made by caretaker manager Voro:

Valencia were two up when Santi Mina turned in a deft header inside the final 15 minutes. There was still time for Espanyol to claim a late goal through David Lopez, but with a mere five minutes left, Valencia were able to hold on.

The win has taken Los Che four points clear of the drop zone. Just as important, Voro's men have played a game less than their fellow relegation strugglers.

Among them, Granada and Osasuna could only manage a point apiece after a 1-1 draw at Estadio Los Carmenes. It was a game littered with controversial refereeing decisions, one where hosts Granada saw two players sent off.

Uche Henry Agbo was dismissed inside the final 20 minutes for violent conduct, before Ezequiel Ponce received a second yellow card deep into injury time.

Corrigan was not convinced by the red card shown to Agbo:

The scores were already deadlocked by the time Agbo received his marching orders, thanks to goals from Oriol Riera and Artem Kravets. It was the latter who tapped in from close range to earn Granada a point, but the draw did little for either team, both of whom remain adrift at the foot of the table.

The same is true of Sporting Gijon despite a brave effort at home to Eibar. A terrific game saw Adrian Gonzalez score from the spot for Eibar, before Carlos Carmona equalised for Sporting.

However, Eibar were soon 3-1 ahead when Pedro Leon and Antonio Luna each found the net. Sporting got one back just prior to the hour mark thanks to Nacho Cases, but it wasn't enough for the side that remains four points adrift from safety.

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

As for Eibar, manager Jose Luis Mendilibar's men continue to punch above their weight in a respectable ninth place.

Celta Vigo sit one place above Eibar after leaving it late to beat Alaves; in fact, they didn't take the lead until a minute before time at Balaidos.

The winning goal came courtesy of a first-time scorer, and continued the club's fine form at the start of this calendar year, according to OpatJose:

Manager Eduardo Berizzo finally has a squad brimming with classy attackers clicking into gear.

Nobody had been clicking into gear quite like Real, but Sevilla have made clear they are genuine players in this title race. It's a race no longer looking like a foregone conclusion for Los Blancos.