La Liga Table 2019: Sunday's Week 31 Results and Updated Standings
Villarreal's relegation woes deepened after a 2-1 defeat away to Real Betis on Sunday. The result has left the Yellow Submarine in the bottom three despite Real Valladolid losing at home to Sevilla.
To make matters worse for Villarreal, Celta Vigo moved out of the drop zone after seeing off 10-man Real Sociedad at home.
Getafe kept hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in club history alive with a narrow win at home to Athletic Bilbao. It keeps Getafe fourth, but Sevilla have closed the gap to just a single point.
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The club also has a four-point cushion over seventh place thanks to Leganes holding Alaves to a 1-1 draw.
Sunday Scores
- Alaves 1-1 Leganes
- Getafe 1-0 Athletic Bilbao
- Real Valladolid 0-2 Sevilla
- Celta Vigo 3-1 Real Sociedad
- Levante 2-2 Huesca
- Real Betis 2-1 Villarreal
Paris Saint-Germain loanee Giovani Lo Celso was in fine form as Betis pushed Villarreal deeper into the mire. The 22-year-old opened the scoring with a deft finish after just 11 minutes:
Villarreal earned a quick response when one-time Arsenal ace Santi Cazorla continued his fruitful second spell in Spain by dropping a corner onto the head of Ramiro Funes Mori.
The visitors pressed for a second with some enterprising play in the final third. However, they were forcing the finish somewhat.
Betis stepped up their own efforts going forward after the break, and it was fitting Lo Celso made the impetus count. The Argentina international was the best player on the pitch and showcased his technique by bending a low shot into the bottom corner from inside the box three minutes after the hour mark.
Lo Celso's brilliant brace left Villarreal assessing a potentially fatal run that's yielded one point from three games. The Yellow Submarine played well enough to win them all, but a squad seeming too talented to go down is getting closer and closer to defying logic.
Former Swansea City midfielder Roque Mesa put Sevilla into an 84th-minute lead before Munir El Haddadi made the result safe in stoppage time. The ex-Barcelona forward is still only 23, but he's a well-travelled talent who rarely lets his clubs down:
Strong performances from Mesa and Munir underline the smart and cost-effective recruitment Sevilla undertake to successfully regenerate the squad each summer.
Angel Luis Rodriguez Diaz made the telling contribution for Getafe 12 minutes from time. The No. 9 netted his eighth goal of what has been a productive campaign, also finding the net five times in this season's Copa del Rey.
Angel's performances are typical of a team that continues to defy expectations. Manager Jose Bordalas is also relying on a solid defence that managed to keep Athletic quiet despite the pace of Inaki Williams and Raul Garcia's aerial power.
Celta have an in-form striker of their own. In fact, Iago Aspas is the most prolific Spaniard in the division after bagging a brace to punish Sociedad:
The visitors had gone ahead thanks to a Willian Jose penalty after 32 minutes. Unfortunately, hero turned to villain when the striker was sent off shortly before the hour mark.
Huesca just about staved off relegation for another week by earning a 2-2 draw in Levante. Goals from Enric Gallego and Ezequiel Avila ensured a point for the side still bottom of the table and six points from safety.
A goal from Roger and a Jose Luis Morales penalty couldn't give Levante the win needed to move six points clear of the drop zone.
Jonathan Calleri scored from the spot to put Alaves in front after 18 minutes. The hosts couldn't add to the lead, though, and were made to pay for their profligacy when substitute Michael Santos struck back three minutes into injury time.
Settling for a stalemate meant Alaves missed the chance to go above a Valencia side surprisingly beaten 2-0 away to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
