Primera Iberdrola Week 18 Round-Up: Atlético Madrid in late comeback and Barcelona, Real Madrid matches postponed
Atlético Madrid closed the gap between them and second-placed Sociedad whose match against Barcelona was postponed due to COVID-19 cases. Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano match was also postponed due to Covid-19 cases.
Atlético Madrid scored late to come back from two goals down to win 3-2 over Sporting Huelva at the Estadio Wanda Atlético de Madrid Alcalá de Henares on Sunday.
Huelva took the lead in the 31st minute when midfielder Anita Marcos converted from the penalty spot and the visitors went to the break leading.
The hosts were then reduced to 10 women after forward Rasheedat Ajibade received her second yellow card in the 65th minute.
The visitors utilised their numerical advantage and were rewarded in the 74th minute when midfielder Mayra Ramírez slotted home to give them a two-goal advantage.
The home side introduced forward Ludmila da Silva and midfielder Silvia Meseguer for midfielder Leicy Santos and defender Carmen Menayo respectively in the 78th minute in a bid to turn around their fortunes.
Ludmila pulled one back for the hosts three minutes after her introduction with an assist from midfielder Maitane López. At the stroke of 90 minutes, forward Deyna Castellanos slotted home with an assist from midfielder Estefanía Banini to make it 2-2.
The visitors were unlucky to concede a late penalty and Castellanos converted the spot kick to hand the hosts a crucial victory.
The win moved the third-placed hosts to 34 points whilst the visitors dropped to 15th, swapping positions with Villarreal.
Natalia Ramos scored late in the 93rd minute from a spot kick as UDG Tenerife beat Alavés 1-0 at the Estadio La Palmera on Sunday.
The win gave the fourth-placed hosts hope in their fight for a top three finish whilst Alavés dropped to seventh from fifth.
Athletic Club piled more misery on Levante on Sunday winning 3-2 away at the Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol - Campo 1.
The home side opened the scoring two minutes into the first half through forward Nataša Andonova with an assist from forward Alba Redondo.
The visitors reacted and were rewarded in the 23rd minute when forward Lucía García equalised.
Defender Vanesa Gimbert gave the visitors the lead at the stroke of half-time when she struck home from a pass from midfielder Paula Arana.
The visitors then made changes at the start of the second half with defender Ainhoa Vicente being replaced by Eunate Arraiza in a bid to protect their lead.
The hosts restored parity 18 minutes into the second half when Alba Redondo slotted home a fine ball from midfielder Leire Baños.
The celebrations did not last long with forward Ane Azkona Fuente restoring the visitors’ lead five minutes later.
The win took Athletic Club to fifth on the standings whilst Levante dropped to 10th.
Sevilla made it three wins in a row after they beat Valencia 3-1 at home at the Ramón Cisneros Palacios on Sunday.
The visitors took the lead in the first minute when midfielders Karen Araya and Nagore Calderón combined, with the latter scoring the opener.
The visitors equalised five minutes into the second half when defender María Jiménez poked home to make it 1-1, with an assist from midfielder Anna Torrodà.
The hosts regained their lead in the 57th minute through midfielder Michele Vasconcelos to make it 2-1. Forward Toni Payne, who came in as a second half substitute, increased the hosts’ lead to 3-1 in the 65th as the hosts grabbed a crucial win.
The visitors were then reduced to 10 women in the 86th minute when Anna Torrodà received her second yellow card of the match.
The win moved Sevilla to sixth position.
Real Betis registered a 2-0 win over Eibar at home at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol on Sunday.
A brace from midfielder Grace Asantewaa in the 36th and 87th minutes saw the home team move to ninth position on the log standings.
Eibar are now tied on 13 points with Villarreal and still face the risk of relegation at the end of the season.
Villarreal boosted their relegation survival chances with a 4-2 win over Madrid CFF away at the Estadio Municipal Nuevo Matapiñonera on Saturday.
The visitors opened the scoring seven minutes into the match through midfielder Estefanía Lima.
Madrid CFF were pegged back further by a 12th minute strike by forward Sheila Guijarro which doubled Villarreal’s lead to 2-0.
The visitors found themselves three-nil up in the 23rd minute when midfielder Belén Martínez finished off a ball from forward Teresa Morató Armengol.
26 minutes from full time Guijarro completed her brace to give the visitors a four-goal cushion.
The hosts pulled one back in the 68th minute through midfielder Itziar Pinillos off a pass from forward Geyse Ferreira.
Madrid CFF were spurred by the goal and pushed for another and struck home in the 77th minute when forward Gabi Nunes reduced the deficit.
The win took Villarreal’s points tally to 13.
The loss was the hosts’ fifth consecutive defeat.
Results (Saturday): Madrid CFF 2-4 Villarreal
Results (Sunday): Real Betis 2-0 Eibar; Levante 2-3 Athletic Club; Atlético Madrid 3-2 Sporting Huelva; Sevilla 3-1 Valencia; UDG Tenerife 1-0 Alavés
(Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)