Barcelona back to winning ways as Betis, Las Planas survive relegation: Liga F Week 29 Round Up
Champions Barcelona bounced back from their one-all draw against Sevilla on Wednesday to win 3-0 against visiting Athletic Club at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 61st minute through forward Caroline Graham Hansen who converted a pass from fellow forward Salma Paralluelo. Substitute defender Irene Paredes doubled her side’s lead four minutes after coming on after she was set up by Graham Hansen.
Graham Hansen completed her hat-trick of goal contributions when she assisted Paralluelo who made it 3-0 to the hosts in the fourth minute of added time.
The had visitors suffered a setback in the first half when defender Marta Unzué was replaced by midfielder Itxaso Uriarte after just nine minutes of play.
The first half had ended with the teams tied nil-all and the visitors made a double change at half time in a bid to add more fresh legs introducing forward Ainize Barea and defender Eunate Arraiza for midfielder Jone Amezaga Martínez and Maite Zubieta Aranbarri respectively.
The win took the hosts to 85 points whilst the visitors remained on 34 points.
Watch Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao highlights below:
Meanwhile, second-placed Real Madrid came from two goals down to beat third-placed Levante 3-2 at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Sunday afternoon.
Visiting Levante raced to a two-goal lead through a double from the league’s top goalscorer forward Alba Redondo in the fifth and 13th minutes. The brace took her goal tally for the season to 26 in her bid to land the Pichichi award.
The hosts pulled a goal back in the 28th minute through midfielder Sandie Toletti after being set up by forward Naomie Feller to set up an exciting finish. Midfield magician Caroline Weir was the difference maker again after her brace within a space of four minutes in the 46th and 50th minutes secured victory for the hosts.
The two goals took Weir’s goal tally to 19 for the season with her goal and assists standing at 31 with one match left to play.
Young forward Linda Caicedo is proving to be a valuable January addition after she assisted the third goal for the hosts after settling well in less than six months at the club.
The win took the hosts to 74 points whilst Levante remained on 63 points.
Watch Real Madrid vs. Levante UD highlights below:
Madrid CFF scored a goal in either half to beat hosts Valencia 2-0 at the Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna on Sunday evening.
The visitors found the breakthrough in the 32nd minute via the boot of their top goal scorer forward Racheal Kundananji who was set up by fellow forward Lucía Pardo. The strike took her goal tally for the season to 23.
The hosts made a double substitution at half-time bringing on defender Sara Tamarit Verdeguer and forward Ivonne Chacón for defender María Molina Molero and midfielder Sandra García respectively.
However, it was the visitors who went on to score, with Kundananji returning the favour when she set up Pardo to double their side’s lead in the 55th minute to seal the points for the visitors.
The win took them to 53 points and they trail fourth-placed Atlético Madrid by a point with a match to play whilst Valencia remained ninth on 37 points.
Watch Valencia vs. Madrid CFF highlights below:
UDG Tenerife took a giant step in salvaging their season after beating visiting Sevilla 3-1 at the Estadio La Palmera on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts broke the deadlock after 11 minutes through a well taken goal by experienced forward María José Pérez González from just outside the penalty box before midfielder Ana Franco was gifted a back pass to level the scores for the visitors in the 32nd minute to make sure the teams went to the half-time break tied one-all.
The match was heading for a deadlock but defender Claudia Roldán Blanco broke the Sevilla hearts when she scored in the 90th minute to restore her side’s lead before Nigerian forward Gift Monday struck in the second minute of added time to make it 3-1 to the hosts to seal the points for her team.
The win took the hosts to 40 points and sixth on the standings whilst Sevilla remained on 37 points in eighth.
A solitary strike by Forward Irina Uribe ensured Levante Las Planas stayed up as they defeated visiting Real Sociedad one-nil at the Camp Municipal Les Planes on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Uribe finished a pass from midfielder Yasmin Mrabet to send the whole stadium into delirium.
The win took the hosts to 26 points, six points above relegation zone with one match left to play whilst the visitors remained on 38 points.
Fourth-placed Atlético Madrid continued with their inconsistent run after playing to a one-all draw with relegation-threatened Villarreal at the Ciudad Deportiva on Saturday afternoon.
Villarreal were dealt a big blow in their survival fight after they allowed the visitors to snatch a point at the dearth with the last kick of the match when substitute forward Rasheedat Ajibade levelled the scores in the 94th minute to cancel out a 49th minute goal by midfielder Fatou Kanteh.
The two points dropped by Villarreal mean that they will have to fight on the final day away to Athletic Club to secure their stay in the league as they are on 22 points, only two above relegation.
Atlético Madrid moved to 54 points
Real Betis secured their stay in the Liga F after their one-all draw with visiting Alavés at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors took a 36th minute lead through defender Elba Vergés who converted a pass from fellow defender Esther Laborde Cabanillas.
The hosts were awarded a 71st minute penalty which was coolly slotted home by midfielder Ángela Sosa to send wild celebrations on the Betis bench.
The hosts needed a point going into the match to be assured of staying up and they got the result they wanted.
The win put them on 25 points, five clear of the relegation zone whilst Alavés remained anchored at the bottom of the log standings on 20 points needing a miracle to survive.
Alhama and visiting Sporting Huelva played to a goalless draw at the Campo de Fútbol José María Soriano Muñoz on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams are still battling relegation.
The draw meant that Huelva are now on 22 points, just two above the relegation zone with a game left to play whilst the hosts remained on 20 points with their cracking decider being against bottom-placed Alavés next weekend.
Results (Saturday): Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Club; Real Betis 1-1 Alavés; Levante Las Planas 1-0 Real Sociedad; Alhama CF ElPozo 0-0 Sporting Huelva; Villarreal 1-1 Atlético Madrid
Results (Sunday): UDG Tenerife 3-1 Sevilla; Real Madrid 3-2 Levante; Valencia 0-2 Madrid CFF