Primera Iberdrola Week 20 Round-Up: Real Sociedad lose to Real Madrid as Barcelona, UDG Tenerife and Atlético Madrid win
Second-placed Real Sociedad lost ground in challenging Barcelona for the title after losing at home to Real Madrid.
Real Sociedad lost 3-1 to Real Madrid at the Centro de Entrenamiento Zubieta on Wednesday evening.
The visitors went to the break leading 1-0 after forward Esther González scored in the third minute. Three minutes into the second half, González completed her brace to give the visitors a two-goal lead before forward Kosovare Asllani made it 3-0 with just five minutes on the pitch, having come on for fellow forward Marta Cardona in the 54th minute.
The hosts got a consolation goal from forward Sanni Franssi in the 66th minute to make it 3-1.
The defeat left Sociedad trailing the log leaders by 14 points whilst the gap between them and third-placed Atlético Madrid was reduced to five points.
Elsewhere, Barcelona extended their winning streak to 19 matches when they beat Levante 4-1 away at the Ciudad Deportiva de Buñol - Campo 1 on Wednesday evening.
The defending champions went to the break leading 3-0 after goals from forward Asisat Oshoala, midfielder Patri Guijarro and forward Jennifer Hermoso in the 25th, 33rd and 35th minutes respectively.
Oshoala’s goal took her season’s tally to 16 goals.
The visitors made it 4-0 in the 56th minute when midfielder Caroline Graham Hansen scored from a Fridolina Rolfö pass before the hosts pulled one back with four minutes of play left when forward Tatiana Pinto scored from an Andrea Sánchez Falcón pass.
The champions welcomed back their skipper midfielder Alexia Putellas, who was introduced in the 62nd minute for Guijarro, having missed their last match due to injury.
A solitary strike by forward Cristina Martin-Prieto was enough for UDG Tenerife to see off struggling Sporting Huelva 1- 0 at home at the Estadio La Palmera on Wednesday.
The Spaniard struck in the 53rd minute as the hosts momentarily went into third place before the Atlético Madrid match against Madrid CFF.
The hosts, who saw defender Pisco Raquel Pena miss a penalty in the 14th minute, will be looking to make their Champions League football dream a reality after the win, whilst Sporting Huelva’s relegation fight has been further complicated by the result.
Atlético Madrid survived a late scare to beat visiting Madrid CFF 3-2 at the Estadio Wanda Atlético de Madrid Alcalá de Henares on Wednesday evening.
Forward Rasheedat Ajibade gave the hosts the lead in the seventh minute which lasted for just a quarter of an hour before forward Geyse Ferreira scored for the visitors from the penalty spot.
Ajibade completed her brace in the 40th minute to make it 2-1 for the hosts and the teams went for the break.
11 minutes after the break the hosts were awarded a penalty which was converted by midfielder Amanda Sampedro to give the hosts a two-goal cushion.
With 11 minutes left on the clock, the visitors pulled one back through forward Gabi Nunes to make it 3-2 and set up the match for an exciting finish.
The hosts held on for the valuable three points, moving back to third position after having been momentarily displaced by UDG Tenerife who had played earlier.
Exciting battle royale as teams fight for survival
Real Betis moved an inch to safety after beating visiting Alavés 4-1 at the Ciudad Deportiva Luis de Sol on Wednesday afternoon.
Midfielder Grace Asantewaa gave the hosts the lead in the 16th minute and Betis went to the break leading 1-0.
Seven minutes after the break midfielder Ángela Sosa made it 2-0 from defender Andrea Medina’s pass. The hosts kept attacking, looking to secure the lead and were rewarded in the 67th minute when defender Lucia León made it 3-0 from another Medina pass.
75th minute substitute forward Rinsola Babajide made it 4-0 three minutes after coming on for Lucia León.
The visitors got a consolation goal six minutes from time when forward Ane Miren Martínez made it 4-1 with an assist from Marta San Adrián Rocandio.
Villarreal celebrated a 3-0 victory over seventh-placed Sevilla at the Ramón Cisneros Palacios on Wednesday evening.
The first half was a close contest with both teams failing to score and going to the break deadlocked.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 54thminute through forward Teresa Morató Armengol before midfielder Karen Kaya missed a penalty for Sevilla on the hour mark.
Three minutes after the penalty miss, the visitors doubled their lead through forward Sheila Guijarro. Armengol completed her brace in the 66th minute to make it 3-0 for the visitors with an assist from Guijarro.
The win moved Villarreal one place off the relegation zone whilst the defeat derailed Sevilla’s hopes of a top three finish.
Athletic Club beat struggling Eibar 3-1 at the Lezama Facilities on Wednesday evening.
The match had an eventful first half with all goals being scored therein.
The hosts took the lead as early as seventh minute through midfielder Lucía García.
Midfielder Ane Azkona scored twice in four minutes, in the 21st and 25th minutes, to make it 3-0 for Athletic Club.
The visitors pulled one back through forward Racheal Kundananji, who pounced on a Míriam Rodríguez González pass and slotted home in the 41st minute.
The result took the hosts to within five points of third position whilst Eibar was placed at risk of relegation being just three points off the drop zone.
Valencia and Rayo Vallecano played to a one-all draw at the Ciudad Deportiva Rayo Vallecano Campo 4 on Wednesday.
Valencia took the lead six minutes before the break through forward Candela Andújar and the visitors went for the break in the lead.
The hosts equalised in the 76th minute through midfielder Paula Fernández and the teams shared the spoils.
Valencia are just two points above the relegation zone whilst Rayo are still bottom of the log with six points from 18 matches.
Results (Wednesday): UDG Tenerife 1-0 Sporting Huelva; Real Betis 4-1 Alavés; Atlético Madrid 3-2 Madrid CFF; Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Valencia; Sevilla 0-3 Villarreal; Levante 1-4 Barcelona; Real Sociedad 1-3 Real Madrid; Athletic Club 3-1 Eibar