Madrid out of top four as Villarreal win
MADRID: Villarreal moved above Real Madrid and into the top four in La Liga after a 2-1 win over Levante on Saturday that piled more pressure on the struggling champions’ coach Zinedine Zidane.
Valencia had two players sent off as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at lowly Las Palmas, while Atletico Madrid gave leaders Barcelona the chance to pull 11 points clear after only drawing 1-1 with Girona.
A 26th-minute penalty from Manu Trigueros and Real youth product Denis Cheryshev’s first league goal in nearly two years saw Javier Calleja’s side, who beat Real at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time ever last week, move up to 34 points, two ahead of Real.
Zidane’s team are fifth, level on 32 points with Sevilla, who crushed Espanyol 3-0 in a dominant display in Catalonia that gave Vincenzo Montella his first league win since arriving in Spain in late December.
The last time Real finished outside the top four was in 2000, when they placed fifth but won the Champions League — a year before coach Zidane had even signed for the club as a player.
Madrid do have two games in hand on the teams around them, though, and host Deportivo on Sunday.
Cheryshev’s tap-in, the first goal in La Liga for the injuryplagued attacker since March 2016, sealed the deal against Levante, who pulled one back with a stoppage-time penalty from Roger.
Russian international Cheryshev clattered into the post after charging down the left flank to tap home Enes Unal’s low cross, but after some time on the ground in pain, struggled on until being substituted in the 65th minute.
Antoine Griezmann’s first goal in six league games wasn’t enough for Atletico as they drew 1-1 with Girona and gave Barcelona a chance to extend their lead at the top.
The draw at the Wanda Metropolitano means Atletico are second and eight points behind Barca, who can almost end discussion over the league title with a win at Real Betis on Sunday.
Atletico stay second on 43 points, three points ahead of Valencia after their surprise defeat in a temperamental affair at Las Palmas, which saw defender Gabriel booked twice for dissent after giving away the host’s winning penalty and then his centre-back partner Ruben Vezo sent off with three minutes left for elbowing spotkick scorer Jonathan Calleri.
Valencia looked set for a routine win when Santi Mina headed home the opener from a corner after just five minutes, but Jonathan Viera smashed home Calleri’s knock-down 15 minutes later.
Calleri slotted home the penalty that sealed the three points as Gabriel strode off to the showers.
Griezmann lashed home Diego Costa’s brave knockdown for Atletico in the 34th minute but Portu snatched a shock equaliser for the away side 17 minutes from time.
Costa made his mark again on Saturday, with his second assist since returning from Chelsea adding to his three goals in five games in all competitions. He lay down in a heap after being clattered by Girona goalkeeper Bono as he headed on for Griezmann, but it was the shot-stopper who came off worse and had to be substituted at half-time. LONDON: Sergio Aguero scored a hattrick as Manchester City restored their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win at home to Newcastle United on Saturday.
City’s 30-match unbeaten run in the league, which spanned two seasons, came to a dramatic end with a 4-3 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield last week.
But their return to winning ways here had manager Pep Guardiola proclaiming his side needed 10 more victories to be crowned champions.
Their advantage at the top of the table had been cut to single figures, for a few hours at least, when second-placed Manchester United beat Burnley 1-0 earlier on Saturday.
Normal service resumed in the day’s late kick-off, though, with Aguero glancing in Kevin De Bruyne’s cross in the 34th minute to open the scoring at the Etihad.
The Argentina striker then converted a 63rdminute penalty awarded after Raheem Sterling tumbled in the box following a tug by Javier Manquillo.
But struggling Newcastle scored against the run of play four minutes later when a rare lapse saw Jacob Murphy sprint through and finish in composed fashion.
Aguero, however, put the result beyond doubt when City’s all-time leading goalscorer completed his 11th hat-trick for the club seven minutes from time following a superb run and pass from Leroy Sane.
“We needed it (this win) after last week,” Aguero told BT Sport. “It’s a long season though and we’ve not won anything yet.”
Guardiola added: “We need 10 more wins to be champions...it was important how we reacted at 2-1, we didn’t panic.”