La Liga round-up: Valencia slip up at home to Villarreal
Saturday 23 December 2017 22:47, UK
Valencia missed the chance to climb above Atletico Madrid into second place by falling to a 1-0 loss at home to Villarreal.
Carlos Bacca's first-half strike proved the difference as Valencia's Simone Zaza was sent off for two yellow cards in three second-half minutes.
Manu Trigueros was then dismissed for two bookable offences as the visitors also finished the match with 10 men.
Elsewhere, former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas scored twice as Celta Vigo beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-1.
Daniel Wass gave visitors Celta a 1-0 lead after four minutes and Aspas struck either side of half-time to render Florin Andone's strike mere consolation.
All this came after Barcelona moved 14 points clear at the top of La Liga with a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico.
Zinedine Zidane's men, last season's champions of Spain and European, had the better of a tight first period but Barcelona took control in the second and Luis Suarez swept home the opener from Sergi Roberto's cross.
Lionel Messi's penalty took the game beyond Real. It was a strange spot-kick awarded by referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, who awarded a penalty after Dani Carvajal handled on the line but then knocked the ball in as he lost his footing.
Carvajal was also sent off, but it took until the third minute of stoppage time for Barca to add to their tally.
Substitute Aleix Vidal added the third and the title now looks almost certain to return to the Nou Camp as La Liga breaks until the resumption on January 6.
