Football
PA Sport 9y

Valencia strengthen hold on Champions League spot with 3-1 win

Valencia eased their way to a 3-1 win at home to Eibar to tighten their grip on the fourth Champions League spot.

Nicolas Otamendi headed Nuno Espirito Santo's side in front on 25 minutes and Dani Parejo and Paco Alcacer extended the hosts' advantage with goals in the second half, with Mikel Arruabarrena getting a late consolation goal for the Basques.

This comfortable result sees Nuno's side go three points clear of Sevilla, capitalising on their 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, and they are two wins away from Champions League football.

Eibar, meanwhile, remain in deep trouble on 31 points and hovering above the relegation zone.

Espanyol and Rayo Vallecano's hopes of qualifying for the Europa League were dented as they shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Power8 stadium.

Former Liverpool left-back Emiliano Insua put the visitors ahead just before the half-hour mark from a a well worked move but Hector Moreno grabbed a deserved equaliser with 10 minutes remaining, but Jose Canas was sent off in stoppage time for dissent.

Espanyol moved on to 46 points but missed the opportunity to go level with Athletic in seventh spot, while Rayo earned a second consecutive draw, just their fourth of the season, and drop down to 12th, five points behind Athletic.

Granada inched closer to escaping the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over Getafe.

Youssef El Arabi's penalty gave Granada their first advantage in the 14th minute. Pedro Leon then scored just before the half to put Getafe level, before El Arabi's second in the 59th minute secured the valuable points for the visitors.

Nineteenth-place Granada now sit just three points back of 17th-positioned Almeria.

Elche clinched Primera Division survival by battling to a 2-1 win at Malaga in a thrilling game at La Rosaleda, in which the visitors survived conceding a late penalty and having a man sent off.

Jonathas de Jesus scored his 12th goal of the season to give the visitors a first-half lead but Malaga, who had three goals disallowed over the 90 minutes, should have levelled in the second half when they were awarded a penalty and Elche goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was sent off for bringing down Javi Guerra.

However, Duda hit the woodwork from the spot and then Chelsea loanee Mario Pasalic sealed the points by finishing off a smooth counterattack.

Javi Guerra pulled one back in the 94th minute and could have even grabbed an equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time, but Elche held on to jubilantly celebrate securing top flight status for a second year in a row.

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