Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Rayo Vallecano pull off surprise win over Barcelona with 2-1 victory
Barcelona’s La Liga title ambitions were dealt a blow after they suffered an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia scored for the hosts, while Robert Lewandowski’s late goal failed to save the visitors from their first defeat in eight league games. Despite the setback, Barcelona still lead the league with 76 points, with a comfortable 11-point lead over Real Madrid, who also suffered a defeat. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano slip to ninth place, four points behind qualification for the Champions League.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez admitted that his team felt uncomfortable during the game and failed to take their chances. On the other hand, Rayo coach Andoni Iraola credited his team’s tactics and the quick recovery of the ball. Although Barcelona remain in a strong position, there is still a long way to go in the title race.
Atlético Madrid pull off impressive comeback to secure win over Mallorca
Atlético de Madrid celebrated their 120th anniversary with a memorable win against Mallorca in LaLiga, moving closer to city rivals Real Madrid in second place. Despite conceding an early goal to Matija Nastasic, Atlético recovered with a flurry of attacks led by Antoine Griezmann, securing a 3-1 win in front of a near-capacity Estadio Metropolitano. Rodrigo de Paul and Alvaro Morata scored within minutes of each other to put Atlético in the lead before Yannick Carrasco sealed the win in the second half.
Captain Koke praised his team’s mentality and motivation, declaring his ambition to finish the season on a high. With this win, Atlético Madrid have reduced the gap to Real Madrid to just two points, and the battle for second place should be fierce.
Suarez secures crucial win for Almeria against 10-man Getafe
Almeria secured three vital points in their fight against relegation with a 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Getafe in Madrid. Colombian striker Luis Suarez was Almeria’s hero, scoring twice to seal the win. Getafe’s task was made even more difficult when Djene was sent off at the end of the first half. Although Bruno Mayoral reduced the deficit for Getafe in the second half, it wasn’t enough as Almeria held on for the win.
With the result, Almeria climbed to 15th in the table, while Getafe dropped to 17th, just one point above the relegation zone.
Celta de Vigo end winless streak with narrow victory over Elche
Celta de Vigo secured a late 1-0 win over last-placed Elche, ending their four-game winless streak in La Liga. The hosts had several chances to open the scoring, but Elche goalkeeper Edgar Badia kept them at bay. However, Joseph Aidoo finally opened the scoring for Celta in the dying minutes of the game, securing the vital three points.
The win moves Celta up to 12th in the table, while Elche remain in last place, five points behind safety with just six games to go.