Barca, Tenerife, Atlético in big wins as Sociedad crumbles: Primera Iberdrola Week 22 Round-Up
Real Sociedad saw their grip on second position loosen after second consecutive loss and are now only a point above UDG Tenerife having played a game more as Barcelona maintained their 100% record.
Barcelona continued with their 100% winning streak defeating Athletic Club 3-0 away at the Lezama Facilities on Sunday.
The visitors were forced into an early change when defender Irene Paredes was replaced by fellow defender Andrea Pereira in the 35th minute because of injury.
The defending champions opened the scoring through defender Marta Torrejón in the 41st minute and went to the break leading.
Four minutes after the break, the visitors doubled their lead through the league’s top scorer Asisat Oshoala, who took her season’s tally to 19 goals.
Midfielder Mariona Caldentey made it 3-0 for the visitors in the 62nd minute to seal the victory and maintain their 100% record.
The defeat was a setback for Athletic Club whose hopes of a top three finish were derailed being on 36 points, seven points behind-third placed Tenerife.
Grand finale in race for top three finish
Elsewhere, second-placed Real Sociedad suffered their second defeat in a row with a 1-0 result against Levante at the Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol - Campo 1 on Sunday.
Sociedad have managed only four points from a possible 15 in their last five matches, a statistic which has put them in danger of losing out on a top three finish being just a point ahead of third-placed Tenerife and having played a game more.
The hosts struck first, on the hour mark, through midfielder Nataša Andonova and the goal was enough for them to collect maximum points.
The win was a relief to the hosts as they moved to seventh position on 29 points whilst the defeat put the visitors’ position in danger.
Third-placed UDG Tenerife continued with their fine form defeating Villarreal 3-1 at home at the Estadio La Palmera on Sunday.
The hosts went to half-time leading 2-0 through a brace by forward María José Pérez González in the 24th and 27th minutes.
Villarreal pulled one back in the 80th minute through defender Lara Mata before the hosts regained their two-goal cushion three minutes later through forward Cristina Martín-Prieto.
The visitors got a lifeline to reduce the deficit when they were awarded a penalty in the 95th minute but midfielder Belén Martínez missed the spot kick.
The win took Tenerife to within a point of second-placed Real Sociedad having played a game less which, if they win, will move them to second whilst the defeat left the visitors a point above relegation zone.
Real Madrid are mounting a late top three challenge having won 2-0 over Eibar away at the Unbe Sports Complex on Sunday.
Real Madrid found the opener 15 minutes from time when forward Marta Cardona found the breakthrough to send the travelling fans into song and dance.
The visitors sought to double the lead and the pressure was rewarded a minute from time when defender Elba Vergés beat her own goalkeeper to score an own goal.
The win took Real Madrid to 35 points, eight points from third place having played two matches less whilst the defeat meant Eibar remains occupying the last relegation slot.
Atlético Madrid ran riot humiliating Sevilla 5-0 at the Estadio Wanda Atlético de Madrid Alcalá de Henares on Sunday.
The hosts opened the scoring when midfielder Estefanía Banini latched onto Bárbara Latorre’s pass and buried the ball in the net in the 20th minute to make it 1-0.
Latorre was on the score sheet six minutes later, making it 2-0, before making her second assist when forward Rasheedat Ajibade made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute.
Ajibade scored her second goal of the match to make it 4-0 from an Amanda Sampedro pass eight minutes before the break.
With 90 minutes on the clock, forward Ludmila da Silva, who came on as a 71st minute substitute to replace two goal hero Ajibade, scored for the hosts to make it 5-0.
The win saw the hosts stay fourth, only a point below third-placed Tenerife whilst the defeat saw Sevilla drop to eighth after Levante won against Real Sociedad.
Madrid CFF’s woes continue
Madrid CFF lost 3-2 to Rayo Vallecano away at the Ciudad Deportiva Rayo Vallecano Campo 4 on Sunday.
The hosts raced to a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes through midfielder Paula Fernández and defender Camila Sáez in the third and eighth minutes respectively before forward Geyse Ferreira pulled one back for the visitors three minutes before the break.
Ferreira completed her brace in the 63rd minute when she made it 2-2 for the visitors.
The hosts regained the lead in the 84th minute when defender Laia Ballesté scored from a Camila Sáez pass.
Valencia boosted their survival hopes when they beat visiting Alavés 1-0 at the Estadio Antonio Puchades on Sunday.
A 30th minute penalty goal by midfielder Iina Salmi was enough for the hosts to collect maximum points and move to 11th position, five points above relegation zone.
The defeat left Alavés ninth with just 27 points from 22 games.
Real Betis and Sporting Huelva played to a goalless draw on Saturday at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol.
The draw, which was the 11th of the season for visiting Huelva, left them on 17 points, one point above relegation zone whilst the hosts remained 10th.
Results (Saturday): Real Betis 0-0 Sporting Huelva
Results (Sunday): Eibar 0-2 Real Madrid; Levante 1-0 Real Sociedad; Valencia 1-0 Alavés; Rayo Vallecano 3-2 Madrid CFF; Atlético Madrid 5-0 Sevilla; Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona; UDG Tenerife 3-1 Villarreal