Primera Iberdrola Week 16 Round-Up: Barcelona humble Tenerife, it is getting tense at the bottom as teams fight relegation

Barcelona were big winners as they put seven goals past Granadilla Tenerife at the Estadio La Palmera on Saturday as they look to retain the title.

Barcelona were missing several first team players due to COVID-19 but it was not felt much as they dismantled the ever improving Tenerife on Saturday. The defending champions got the ball rolling in the 25th minute when the hosts’ defender Raquel Pena turned the ball into her own net to give them the lead. Forward Caroline Graham Hansen gave the visitors a two goal cushion going to the break when she scored in the 29th minute. The visitors were forced into an early substitution when midfielder Aitana Bonmati was replaced by forward Claudia Pina in the 30th minute.

The hosts made two changes at the break trying to turn around the match when forward Koko Ange and midfielder Silvia Doblado replaced forward Jassina Blom and midfielder Paola Hernandez Diaz. Two minutes after the break, the hosts were 3-0 down after forward Fridolina Rolfö finished off a Claudia Pina pass. Barcelona raced to a 4-0 lead in the 63rd minute when Fridolina Rolfö set up her fellow forward Lieke Martens who coolly finished the pass. Martens completed her brace in the 69th minute when she made it 5-0 for the visitors.

Fridolina Rolfö made her third goal contribution of the match with an inch perfect pass for midfielder Patri Guijarro to make it 6-0 in the 74th minute. The visitors introduced forward Asisat Oshoala who returned from injury in the 76th minute and made her mark thirteen minutes later by scoring the visitors’ seventh goal to take her season tally to 12 goals, The defeat was a setback to Tenerife’s quest for Champions League as they remained in fifth position on 28 points.

Second placed Real Sociedad narrowly edged Athletic Club by a goal to nil at the Reale Arena on Sunday as they keep on pushing for Champions League football. The win took them to 37 points and nine points above third placed Atletico Madrid who have played two games less. The only goal of the match came in the 23rd minute through forward Nerea Eizagirre’s strike off fellow forward Gabriela Garcia’s assist. Athletic Club has gone two games without a win and their inconsistency has complicated their fight for Champions League football.

Villarreal, Sporting Huelva with vital wins as survival fight gets tense

Villarreal utilised home advantage to beat visiting Alavés 3-1 at the Ciudad Deportiva on Saturday to boost their chances of surviving relegation and made it two wins in a row. The hosts took the lead through forward Sheila Guijarro from the spot in the 14th minute. The visitors made changes at the break and brought in defender Garazi Facila and forward Lice Chamorro to replace midfielder Miku Ito and forward Sara Carrillo respectively. The changes were made to breathe life into the team in search for an equaliser which did not come and found themselves further behind in the 56th minute when forward Teresa Morato Armengol pounced on a pass from midfielder Maria Cienfuegos Baragano to double the home side’s advantage.

Second half substitute, Lice Chamorro, reduced the arrears for the visitors in the 69th minute when she turned home fellow forward Marta San Adrian Rocandio’s pass. The goal spurred them as they looked for an equaliser but were caught napping with ten minutes to go as Teresa Morato Armengol punished them to restore the two goal advantage. The win moved Villarreal to second from bottom on 8 points.

In another match, Sevilla edged Madrid CFF 2-1 at the Estadio Municipal Nuevo Matapinonera on Saturday to move above them on the log standings. The visitors took the lead when midfielder Rosa Otermin scored from the spot in the 7th minute. The hosts equalised late in the game as forward Cristina Libran Quiroga found some space to bundle home. The home side lost concentration in the closing moments of the game as they were punished in the 87th minute when forward Eli del Estal pounced on midfielder Inma Gabarro’s pass to restore the visitors’ lead.

Eibar left it very late to condemn Rayo Vallecano to the bottom of the log standings when then edged the hosts 1-0 at the Ciudad Deportiva Rayo Vallecano Campo 5 (Stadium) on Sunday with a 92nd strike from midfielder Racheal Kundananji. There was no coming back for Rayo and it was a sweet victory for Eibar as they have now moved 8 points clear of relegation.

In another exciting match, Sporting Huelva were 2-0 winners over Valencia after a spirited second half display from the home side at the Campo Federativo de la Orden on Sunday. It was Huelva’s first win of the season and it was worth waiting after being dubbed drawing queens as they have managed nine draws so far this campaign. They drew first blood in the 69th minute through the boot of forward Mayra Ramirez and doubled their lead with four minutes to go through the boot of Mayra Ramirez again to complete her brace. The win took Huelva seven points clear of relegation whilst Valencia still not safe as they failed to make it three wins in a row.

Levante are finding the going tough as they fell to a 1-0 loss away to Betis at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol on Sunday. The hosts took the lead through defender Eva Llamas’ strike in the 7th minute and the goal proved to be the winner for the home side as they collected maximum points. The win took Betis to 18 points whilst Levante are stuck at 19 points as they have gone four games without a win.

Results (Saturday): Madrid CFF 1-2 Sevilla; Villarreal 3-1 Alaves; UDG Tenerife 0-7 Barcelona
Results (Sunday): Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Eibar; Real Betis 1-0 Levante; Real Sociedad 1-0 Athletic Club; Sporting Huelva 2-0 Valencia

(Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)