La Liga Results 2019: Scores and Updated Table After Saturday's Week 18 Matches
Alaves moved above Real Madrid into the top four of La Liga after beating Valencia 2-1 at home on Saturday. The result also leaves Los Che outside the top 10.
Relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano won 1-0 away to Valladolid to go level on points with Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal.
Fellow strugglers Huesca also enjoyed a welcome victory. The league's bottom side won for just the second time this season after coming from behind to beat Real Betis 2-1 on home soil.
Here is the table following the day's play:
Valencia took the lead after just 14 minutes courtesy of skipper Daniel Parejo, who scored direct from a free-kick to seemingly put Marcelino's team in control.
It proved a false dawn, though, as the hosts drew level seven minutes later. Borja Baston equalised when he planted a left-footed finish into the net after being played in by enterprising centre-back Guillermo Maripan.
The winner came deep into first-half stoppage time when Tomas Pina slotted in on the turn. His goal continued Alaves' useful trend of turning around matches from losing positions:
Form like this has the club primed to hit rarely reached heights:
Rayo scored the goal they needed in under 30 seconds at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla. It came from Valencia loanee Alvaro Medran after he was teed up by Adrian Embarba.
Medran also achieved a distinction in La Liga this season:
Valladolid could have denied the visitors all three points late on, but Michel saw his 87th-minute penalty saved by Stole Dimitrievski. The Macedonian goalkeeper also produced fine stops to frustrate Daniele Verde and Duje Cop in the closing stages.
Dimitrievski's efforts have given Rayo hope and a small platform for beating the drop during the second half of the campaign.
Unlike Michel, Antonio Sanabria was successful from 12 yards to give Betis the lead 10 minutes after the restart in Huesca.
Sanabria converted after former Barcelona winger Cristian Tello was felled in the box.
Quickfire goals from David Ferreiro and Christian Rivera left Betis shocked, though. Huesca had shown tremendous resilience to fight back, with Alex Gallar pulling the strings from the left flank after coming on as a substitute.
Gallar's pace and vision helped Huesca start the year positively, although the club is still five points adrift of safety.
Attention will now turn to Sunday's fixtures. Real Madrid host Real Sociedad, leaders Barcelona are in Getafe and second will meet third when Atletico Madrid travel to Sevilla.
