La Liga round-up: Sevilla move level with leaders Real Madrid
Saturday 25 February 2017 23:49, UK
Sevilla moved level on points with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after coming from behind to win 2-1 at rivals Real Betis.
The home side, who had not won in the past five matches, went ahead late in the first half through Riza Durmisi.
Steven N'Zonzi conceded a free-kick after bringing down Brazilian midfielder Petros some 25 yards out in a central position after 37 minutes.
Danish defender Durmisi promptly whipped the ball up over the wall and into the bottom right corner past the dive of Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli made two changes at half-time, bringing on Wissam Ben Yedder for Pablo Sarabia and Vicente Iborra to replace Franco Vazquez, which helped make the breakthrough.
Substitute Iborra got up at the far post to plant a close-range header goalwards, which Betis goalkeeper Antonio Adan beat away but Gabriel Mercado was on hand to knock the rebound into the net with the Betis defence appealing for offside.
Sevilla's pressure eventually brought a second goal with 14 minutes left. This time N'Zonzi got the knockdown, which left Iborra clear in the six-yard box to slot past the keeper.
Real Madrid hold two matches in hand and are away at Villarreal on Sunday.
In Saturday's early kick-off Alaves beat Valencia 2-1 at home with a late goal from substitute Aleksandar Katai.
Carlos Soler had put Valencia into the lead on 70 minutes when he slotted the ball in from a tight angle after Daniel Parejo's free-kick was saved.
The Copa del Rey finalists, however, rallied and were level within eight minutes when Ibai Gomez drilled in from the edge of the penalty area.
Serbian Katai had only just come on when he was played into the right side of the penalty area by Ruben Sobrino and coolly rounded Diego Alves to secure all three points.
Elsewhere, Leganes ran out 4-0 winners over Deportivo thanks to goals from Alexander Szymanowski, Martin Mantovani, Unai Lopez and Alberto Bueno.
And, in Saturday's late kick-off, Eibar returned to winning games with a 3-0 victory over Malaga at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium.
Adrian Gonzalez's brace and Sergi Enrich's second-half penalty was enough for Jose Luis Mendilibar's men, who bounced by from last week's defeat at Sevilla to climb up to seventh in the Primera Division.
