Elche get first win in Spanish league at 20th attempt

Elche ended their excruciatingly long wait for a win in the Spanish league yesterday when Villarreal were beaten 3-1 after Pere Milla scored a hat-trick before he was carried off on a stretcher.

Last-placed Elche, a modest club from southern Spain, endured the entire first half of the league without a single win.

The victory finally came in round 20 against a Villarreal side that beat Real Madrid last month and are fighting for a Champions League berth.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid conceded a late penalty to be held 1-all by relegation-threatened A´ Getafe.

Elche, playing under their third coach of the campaign, will still need a major turnaround to avoid relegation. They have just nine points and sit 11 points from safety.

“Anything is possible,” Elche goalkeeper Edgar Badia said of his team’s hopes of staying in the top-flight for a fourth consecutive season. “Our mentality is game by game and not look far ahead. It is not time to think about the past.”

Milla, playing in his fourth season at Elche, was injured after his treble and was taken off on a stretcher in the 58th minute with a suspected broken collarbone.

He opened the scoring when he fired a deflected ball past Pepe Reina three minutes after kickoff in Elche.

Gerard Moreno equalised in the 22nd with his eighth goal across all competitions from a pass by lex Baena.

But Milla converted two penalties in the 48th and 52nd to ensure the 18,000 fans who turned out could finally have a reason to celebrate. The spectators did the wave at Martinez Valero Stadium in the final minutes. Elche player Omar Mascarell wept from relief.

“I haven’t been here that long, but I know the players and the club workers, and of course our fans who never abandoned us, who believed this win would come. This is for them,” said manager Pablo Machın, who took over in November.

Villarreal stayed fifth after a second straight loss.

“We made too many mistakes and when you do that you pay for it,” Villarreal defender Raul Albiol said. “It was a bad day for the entire team. They played harder than we did, so they are the rightful winners.”

Atletico held

Atletico were in control until Saul Ñıguez gave away the penalty when a cross hit his flaying arm in the area.

Getafe striker Enes Unal rifled the spot kick past Jan Oblak for the 83rdminute equaliser.

ngel Correa opened in the 60th. His goal was initially waived off for offside but a video review overruled the referee’s decision. Correa was substituted by that point so his Atletico teammates rushed into the dugout to celebrate with him.

Getafe’s first point of 2023 ended a run of four consecutive league losses for Quique Sanchez Flores’ team.

Fourth-placed Atletico were left four points clear of Villarreal and Real Betis, which also stumbled.

Shootout in seville

Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga scored twice to help win a high-tempo 4-3 thriller over Real Betis in Seville.

Aided by the sharp passing of Carles Perez, Iago Aspas and Luca de la Torre, Celta got their most impressive win of an otherwise difficult season.

Betis’ Luiz Felipe was sent off for a brush with Aspas in the final minutes, setting off a brief scuffle between the teams.

Also, Espanyol came back to draw a-all at home against Osasuna.

We made too many mistakes and when you do that you pay for it.

Villarreal defender Raul Albiol