Madrid lose ground as Tenerife make survival strides: Liga F Week 22 Round Up
Second-placed Real Madrid lost more ground in their bid to dislodge Barcelona from the top of Liga F standings after losing 1-0 to UDG Tenerife at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Saturday afternoon.
Midfielder Caroline Weir had an opportunity to break the deadlock in the 43rd minute after weaving past Tenerife defenders only to blaze her effort over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Tenerife scored the solitary goal through forward María José Pérez González in the 84th minute, handing Madrid a defeat after 14 games after defender Ivana Andrés had failed to clear the ball to safety.
The win took Tenerife to 27 points, 12 above the relegation zone whilst Real are now trailing Barcelona by 10 points.
Watch Real Madrid vs UDG Tenerife highlights below:
Meanwhile, log leaders Barcelona were in scintillating form, beating visiting Valencia 5-1 at the Estadi Johan Cruyff on Friday night.
The Blaugranes found themselves behind after 12 minutes when defender María Jiménez headed in a corner kick from midfielder Anna Torrodà.
Defender Fridolina Rolfö levelled the scores for the hosts 14 minutes later before fellow defender Marta Torrejón made it 2-1 in the second minute of added time of the first half off a clever pass from midfielder Aitana Bonmati.
The hosts made a triple change in the 56th minute bringing on forwards Caroline Graham Hansen, Salma Paralluelo and Asisat Oshoala for midfielder Ana-Maria Crnogorčević, forward Geyse and midfielder Bruna Vilamala respectively.
Teenage sensation Paralluelo made an instant impact registering her name on the scoresheet four minutes after her introduction, converting a good pass from Bonmati from just outside the box to make it 3-1. The two players combined again six minutes later with Paralluelo getting her second goal of the match to make it 4-1 to the hosts.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the third minute of second half added time after Paralluelo was fouled in the box by defender Kerlly Real. The spot kick was coolly converted by Rolfö for her second goal of the match to make it 5-1 and seal the points in the process.
The win put the log leaders 10 points clear of second-placed Madrid whilst Valencia remained on 33 points after the loss.
Watch Barcelona vs Valencia highlights below:
Third-placed Levante kept pressure on Real Madrid after winning 3-0 against Sporting Huelva at the Campo del CD Lamiya on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors took a 15th minute lead through forward Mayra Ramírez off a lofted pass from midfielder Leire Baños. Forward Érika González doubled her side’s advantage six minutes later with a tap-in from two yards after being superbly set up by midfielder Tatiana Pinto to give her side a two-nil lead at half time.
The hosts made a triple change at half time bringing on forwards Berglind Rós Ágústsdóttir, Bárbara López Gorrado and Patrícia Hmírová for forward Ana de Teresa, midfielder Vanesa Santana and defender Paula Romero respectively.
However, it was the visitors who went on to score through 76th minute substitute forward Alba Redondo who made it 3-0 just nine minutes after coming on to keep her golden boot hopes alive.
The win, for Levante, reduced the gap to Real Madrid to just three points whilst Sporting Huelva remained two points above relegation on 17 points.
Watch Sporting Huelva vs. Levante UD highlights below:
Atlético Madrid beat hosts Alhama CF ElPozo 3-1 at the Campo de Fútbol José María Soriano Muñoz on Sunday evening.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the first minute through forward Rasheedat Ajibade after she was set up by midfielder Irene Guerrero and dedicated the goal to fellow injured forward Ludmila. The visitors doubled up their advantage three minutes into the second half through defender Carmen Menayo.
The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 57th minute which was coolly converted by defender Carmen Fresneda Morga to make it 2-1.
Atlético responded six minutes later when forward Andrea Stašková headed home to make it 3-1 off a cross from fellow forward Eva Navarro to restore her side’s two goal advantage.
The win moved Atlético to 43 points whilst Alhama remained bottom on 14 points.
Watch Alhama CF ElPozo vs. Atlético Madrid highlights below:
Sevilla were victors in the El Gran Derbi after beating rivals Real Betis 3-0 at the Estadio Jesús Navas on Saturday evening.
Sevilla were awarded a penalty on the half hour mark when midfielder Amanda Sampedro was fouled by defender Vicky Benítez. The spot kick was converted by midfielder Rosa Otermín in the 31st minute to give the hosts the lead.
Betis made a half-time substitution bringing on midfielder Rosa Márquez for forward Carmen Álvarez to add fresh legs in midfield.
However, Sampedro went on to double her side’s lead five minutes into the second half when she converted a pass from forward Ana Franco. Defender Silvia Meseguer rose highest to head home a corner kick taken by Otermín on the hour mark to give her side a 3-0 lead.
Forward Cristina Martín-Prieto could have made it 4-0 but was denied by the upright whilst forward Inma Gabarro failed to beat the keeper on a one-versus-one.
The hosts took their points tally to 30 whilst Betis found themselves one point above relegation.
Fifth-placed Madrid CFF were 3-2 winners against Athletic Club in a five-goal thriller at the Estadio Fernando Torres on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts broke the deadlock just after three minutes through defender Mônica Hickmann after she nodded home a cross from the left by forward Florencia Bonsegundo.
The visitors levelled the scores through midfielder Ainize Barea in the 16th minute after her shot took an awkward deflection off defender Aldana Cometti to beat wrong footed goalkeeper Paola Ulloa.
Forward Lucía Pardo’s half-volley restored her side’s lead with one minute left before half-time after converting midfielder Itziar Pinillos’ cross from the right. The hosts made it 3-1 two minutes into added time of the first half through Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji who volleyed home a half clearance from the visitors’ defence after the hosts had taken a corner kick.
The visitors were awarded a penalty in the 64th minute after Ulloa was adjudged to have fouled forward Ane Azkona and the spot kick was converted by 19-year old midfielder Clara Pinedo to make it 3-2.
The win took Madrid CFF’s points tally to 39 whilst Athletic Club still remained five points above relegation zone.
Elsewhere, Real Sociedad narrowly beat visiting Alavés 6-5 in a 11-goal thriller at the Instalaciones de Zubieta on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts took a fourth minute lead through defender Ane Etxezarreta when she converted a miscued kick from midfielder Gema Soliveres before forward Sanni Franssi doubled the lead four minutes later when she converted a pass from midfielder Iris Arnaiz.
The visitors were forced into an early change after 24 minutes bringing in forward Sara Carrillo Moreno for midfielder Jessica Aby.
However, Franssi went on to score her second goal of the match in the 29th minute to make it 3-0 to the hosts after defender Osinachi Ohale cleared the ball into her path from three yards before substitute Carrillo Moreno pulled a goal back for the visitors five minutes later.
Midfielder Elba Vergés set up an exciting finish to the first half when she scored her side’s second goal through a header after a well taken corner on the stroke of half-time to make it 3-2.
The hosts added a fourth goal in the 48th minute through midfielder Amaiur Sarriegi to double her side’s advantage after receiving a reverse pass from Franssi. Midfielder Andreia Jacinto gave her side a three goal advantage when she scored the fifth goal in the 54th minute after a misplaced pass from goalkeeper Jana Xin before midfielder Lice Chamorro reduced the deficit eight minutes later, making it 5-3 after pouncing on a short back pass by defender Manuela Vanegas.
Sarriegi completed her brace in the 63rd minute after being set up by Franssi to restore her side’s three goal advantage.
Substitute forward Carla Armengol pulled another goal back for the visitors with four minutes left to play to make it 6-4 before she completed her brace in the 89th minute to make it 6-5.
The hosts took their points tally to 30 whilst Alavés remained in the relegation zone with 15 points.
Villarreal and Levante Las Planas played to a nil-all draw at the Ciudad Deportiva on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts had an opportunity to open the scoring in the first half but midfielder Sheila Guijarro watched in agony as she was denied by the upright.
The draw took both teams to 19 points, just four above the relegation zone though Las Planas are above due to a superior goal difference.
Results (Friday): Barcelona 5-1 Valencia
Results (Saturday): Madrid CFF 3-2 Athletic Club; Real Madrid 0-1 UDG Tenerife; Sevilla 3-0 Real Betis
Results (Sunday): Real Sociedad 6-5 Alavés; Villarreal 0-0 Levante Las Planas; Sporting Huelva 0-3 Levante; Alhama CF ElPozo 1-3 Atlético Madrid