La Liga round-up: Atletico Madrid edge closer to Champions League qualification
Saturday 6 May 2017 22:56, UK
Atletico Madrid beat Eibar 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday to edge closer to Champions League group stage qualification.
Saul Niguez struck 20 minutes from time when he latched onto a ball from Diego Godin and drilled home a left-footed shot from the edge of the box.
Godin was then sent off in stoppage time after picking up two yellow cards in the space of two minutes, but the win sent Atletico five points clear of fourth-placed Sevilla with only six left to play for.
Sporting Gijon also gave their survival hopes a major boost with a 1-0 win over Las Palmas at El Molinon.
Carlos Carmona gave them a first victory in eight that moved them within three points of 17th-placed Leganes.
Carmona outmuscled defender Pedro Bigas and put his shot into the corner of the net past Javier Varas Herrera from 12 yards.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Barcelona beat Villarreal 4-1 at the Nou Camp to maintain their spot at the top of the table with Lionel Messi netting his 50th and 51st goals of the season.
Real Madrid also kept pace with their Clasico rivals, seeing off already-relegated Granada 4-0 at the Estadio Los Carmenes.
