Barcelona survive Sociedad scare, Tenerife blow it away, Madrid CFF remember how to win: Liga F Week 11 Round Up
Defending champions Barcelona narrowly beat a resolute Real Sociedad 2-1 at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors took the lead after 44 minutes when defender Jade de Guilly converted a pass from forward Gaby García.
The hosts came back for the second half having made four changes at the break bringing in forwards Geyse, Fridolina Rolfö, Mariona Caldentey and Ana-Maria Crnogorčević for defender Nuria Rábano and forwards Asisat Oshoala, Salma Paralluelo and Clàudia Pina respectively.
The changes sparked life into the Barcelona team as Geyse set up Marta Torrejón for the equaliser in the 62nd minute to bring hope of winning the match.
The hosts survived in the 80th minute when defender Mapi León cleared the ball off the line to deny the visitors the lead.
Substitute defender Lucy Bronze was the heroine for Barcelona as she scored the winning goal with just a minute left on the clock after she headed Mapi León’s corner.
The win meant that the hosts have kept their 100% record.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid kept pressure on log leaders Barcelona after winning 4-1 against Levante Las Planas at the Camp Municipal Les Planes on Saturday evening.
The visitors took a fourth minute lead when their leading goal scorer, forward Esther González, converted a pass from fellow forward Naomie Feller. González doubled the visitors’ lead 30 minutes later after being set up by defender Lucía Rodríguez to take her goal tally to seven for this campaign.
The hosts reduced the deficit in the 57th minute when midfielder Irina Priscilla Uribe García converted a pass from fellow midfielder Pilar Garrote Camuñez.
Midfielder Athenea del Castillo restored the two-goal advantage for the Madrid side after having been set up by fellow partner in midfield Caroline Weir in the 65th minute.
Feller put the match beyond the hosts when she made it 4-1 with five minutes left after she bundled home a pass from midfielder Maite Oroz to seal the points for Madrid.
Sevilla levelled matters one minute into added time in a two-all draw against UDG Tenerife at the Ramón Cisneros Palacios on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors opened the scoring through forward Jassina Blom after 22 minutes before defender Andrea Marrero Avero doubled their advantage 13 minutes later from defender Raquel Peña’s pass.
The hosts pulled a goal back at the stroke of half-time when midfielder Cristina Martín-Prieto converted a pass from forward Inma Gabarro before forward Gabarro levelled the scores for Sevilla on the stroke of full time.
Peña missed a late penalty for the visitors and blew a chance to win the match with Sevilla defender Morgane Nicoli being shown a red card for the foul which led to the spot-kick.
A double by Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji saw Madrid CFF beat Athletic Club 2-0 at the Instalaciones de Lezama Campo 1 on Saturday evening.
Kundananji broke the deadlock after 57 minutes when she slotted home her eighth goal of the season from defender Mônica’s pass deep in her own half and made a long run and beat two defenders in the process before smashing home a ferocious shot.
She completed her brace eight minutes later with a coolly chipped finish from just outside the penalty box after she received a well weighted pass from fellow forward Lucía Pardo to ensure they left Lezama with maximum points.
Kundananji is now second on the goal scorers charts after scoring her ninth goal of the season.
The win was a relief for the Madrid side after two consecutive defeats. They are back in contention for champions league places whilst Athletic Club have not been consistent and found themselves on 13 points after 11 games.
Atlético Madrid left it late to win 1-0 win against Valencia at the Estadio Antonio Puchades on Sunday afternoon.
After a first half impasse, the hosts made a half-time change bringing in forward Ascensión Martínez Salinas for defender Kerlly Real, adding more attacking potent in search of a goal.
Atlético forward Andrea Stašková made the difference after coming off the bench in the 66 minute to set up the all-important goal scored by midfielder Marta Cardona with only four minutes left to play.
The Madrid side moved to fourth position after Levante pipped them to third position on goal difference. Valencia, on the other hand, are seventh on 15 points following their second defeat in a row.
Sporting Huelva came from behind twice to force a two-all draw against Alaves at the Campo del CD Lamiya on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors took an 11th minute lead through defender Cristina Auñón and it was enough for them to be leading at the half-time break.
The hosts came back a determined side and were duly rewarded in the 63rd minute when they equalised from the penalty spot through midfielder Patrícia Hmírová.
The visitors regained their lead with 15 minutes left after an own goal by defender Patri Ojeda but the lead did not last long as the hosts levelled the scores two minutes later through defender Laia Ballesté off Hmírová’s pass.
The draw left Alaves still in the relegation zone whilst Huelva moved to 12 points.
Villarreal were 1-0 victors over 10 women hosts Alhama CF ElPozo at the Campo de Fútbol José María Soriano Muñoz on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes thanks to an own goal by goalkeeper Laura Martínez Martínez.
The hosts’ recovery efforts were shattered when defender Lena Pérez Sánchez was shown her second yellow card in the 89th minute.
The win moved Villarreal to 13th position with 10 points whilst Alhama remained bottom with just three points.
Levante produced a scintillating display in their 7-0 win against Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Sunday evening with hat-tricks from forwards Alba Redondo and Júlia Aguado being the highlight of the performance.
The visitors were dealt a big blow when first choice goalkeeper María Valenzuela was replaced by second choice Andrea Tarazona Brisa with a suspected knee injury as early as the sixth minute after clashing with Betis forward Rinsola Babajide.
Redondo broke the deadlock after 28 minutes when she headed home midfielder Érika González’s pass before doubling the advantage for Levante three minutes later when she connected with a pass from midfielder Tatiana Pinto.
Two minutes into the first half added time forward Mayra Ramírez made it 3-0 to the visitors.
The hosts made a triple change at half time bringing in forwards Laura Moreno Moreno, Carmen Álvarez and defender Vicky Benítez for defenders Nuria Ligero, Lidia Sánchez Gonzalez and midfielder Grace Asantewaa in a bid to add firepower having conceded three goals in the first half.
Redondo completed her hat-trick eight minutes into the second half when she converted a pass from defender Núria Mendoza taking her season goal tally to 10 and putting herself at the apex of the goal scorers’ chart.
Substitute Júlia Aguado scored the fifth goal eight minutes from full time and made it 6-0 for her brace six minutes later from a Redondo pass. She completed her hat-trick one minute into second half added time with another Redondo assist to make it 7-0 and complete the rout.
The win took Levante to third position replacing Atlético Madrid on goal difference whilst Betis remained 12th on 10 points.
Results (Saturday): Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad; Sevilla 2-2 UDG Tenerife; Athletic Club 0-2 Madrid CFF; Levante Las Planas 1-4 Real Madrid
Results (Sunday): Sporting Huelva 2-2 Alaves; Valencia 0-1 Atlético Madrid; Alhama CF ElPozo 0-1 Villarreal; Real Betis 0-7 Levante