Sevilla and Atletico Madrid boosted their hopes of snatching a Champions League spot with wins on Sunday.
Sevilla and Atletico close gap on top four
Sevilla and Atletico Madrid boosted their hopes of snatching UEFA Champions League qualification with wins on Sunday.
With
Villarreal occupying the fourth Champions League spot, it was crucial
Sevilla won as the two sides met at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez - and they did just that, claiming a 3-2 home victory.
Ivan Rakitic and Alvaro Negredo put the hosts 2-0 up inside 14 minutes before Carlos Marchena pulled one back after the break.
Romaric restored Sevilla's two-goal cushion and although fellow sub Giuseppe Rossi gave Villarreal hope, Marchena was sent off for two late bookings.
Sergio Aguero bagged a second-half brace as
Atletico Madrid enjoyed a 4-1 win at home to
Levante.
Trindade Elias' opener for Atletico was cancelled out by a 40th-minute penalty by Felipe Caicedo.
But victory was sealed by Aguero's double, including one goal from the penalty spot, before Levante keeper Gustavo Munua turned a corner into his own net.
Sevilla and Atletico remain joint-sixth, eight points behind Villarreal with five games left.
Espanyol blow
Espanyol lost ground as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at
Sporting Gijon but they remain eighth after Gijon sub Nacho Novo claimed a 70th-minute match-winner.
Mallorca edged above Levante into ninth following a 2-0 victory at home to
Getafe.
Jose Carlos Nunes broke the deadlock in the 25th minute before sub Akihiro Ienaga sealed victory with 23 minutes left.
Malaga boosted their survival bid with a 2-1 win at
Racing Santander to go three points clear of the drop zone.
Two goals in four first-half minutes from Julio Baptista and Sebastian Fernandez were enough to put Malaga within a point of their hosts, who pulled one back late on through Markus Rosenberg.
Hercules also claimed a valuable victory as Tiago Gomes' 60th-minute strike saw them win 1-0 at home to
Deportivo La Coruna and go two points adrift of safety.
