Real Betis, Valladolid win by solitary goals
barcelona — Real Betis joined a group of seven teams separated by only three points at the top of the Spanish league after squeaking out a 1-0 win at home over Leganes on Sunday.
Repeated slips by leader Barcelona and second-place Real Madrid have given hope to a pack of pursuers after seven rounds.
Betis forward Lorenzo Moron scored a second consecutive winner for the Seville-based club, this time firing in a cross from Cristian Tello in the 89th minute after Giovani Lo Celso threaded a long pass through Leganes’ midfield to cue the decisive attack.
“We had the game under control throughout, they played the ball out from the back and I was fortunate once again for the ball to go in,” said Moron, who also scored for Betis in its 1-0 victory at Girona on Thursday.
The win lifted Betis into fifth place, level on points with Atletico Madrid in fourth. Both teams are just two points behind Barcelona
and Madrid, and one point behind third-place Sevilla.
Valladolid won 1-0 at Villarreal to give the promoted club its second straight victory since returning to the first division.
Valladolid, which was taken over by former Brazil great Ronaldo earlier this month, has had an impressive week after fighting back for a 3-3 league draw at Celta Vigo, coming from behind to beat Levante 2-1, and now winning its first match on the road.
Leo Suarez scored the winner for Valladolid in the 53rd. Goalkeeper Jordi Masip ensured the three points by saving a penalty kick from Gerard Moreno in the 83rd, after a video review ruled a Valladolid player had used his hand to stop the ball. —