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La Liga Round 21 Results: Fernando Llorente hat-trick moves Athletic Bilbao to within touching distance of the Champions League places, while Getafe defeat Levante
Elsewhere, Abel Resino's Granada defeated Betis in his first match in charge, while Espanyol narrowly beat Mallorca as their impressive campaign continues
29 Jan 2012 18:22:00
By Daniel Quinton-Navarro
Dani Guiza - Getafe
| Rayo Vallecano 2-3 Athletic Bilbao |
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A Fernando Llorente hat-trick helped Athletic overcome the home side in a high intensity match in the capital moving them to within two points of the Champions League places.
Jose Raman Sandoval's side took the lead in the 11th minute through Michu's strike, before Llorente struck twice in the space of five minutes to put the Basque ahead. Rayo Vallecano were not to be left wanting however, and levelled inside the half-hour when Alejandro Arribas netted his first goal of the season. Athletic were frustrated until midway through the second-half when Llorente completed his hat-trick earning himself a man-of-the-performance as Rayo were condemned to their 10th defeat of the season. The newly-promoted outfit sit precariously close to the relegation zone, despite occupying 13th place in La Liga table. |
| Espanyol 1-0 Mallorca |
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In a tight encounter at the Cornella-El Prat, Espanyol secured a narrow 1-0 victory over a determined Mallorca side lifting them level on points with Levante in the last of the Champions League spots.
Manchester City loanee Vladimir Weiss grabbed the games' only goal in the 17th minute after Dudo Aouate gifted the ball to the midfielder. The Islanders' keeper collided with one of his own defenders before dropping the ball at the feet of Weiss who duly finished. Joaquin Caparros' side were reduced to 10 men prior to the interval when Aouate was adjudged to have felled Rui Fonte earning him a straight red card. Despite their numerical advantage the home side were largely on the back foot for much of the second half, indeed Kiko Casilla was forced into several saves to ensure Espanyol recorded a victory. |
| Real Madrid 3-1 Zaragoza |
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| Villarreal 0-0 Barcelona |
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| Betis 1-2 Granada |
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Granada escaped the clutches of the relegation zone after Abel Resino began his tenure in charge with an invaluable 2-1 victory over rivals Betis at the Benito Villamarin.
The away side began the brighter of the two and were ahead inside the opening quarter of an hour when Odion Ighalo's low strike beat the flailing Casto. Granada doubled their lead five minute before the break through Carlos Martins who finished off a free-flowing counterattack. Los Verdiblancos improved in the second half but were shut out until the 80th minute, when Jonathan Pereira halved the deficit prompting a late rally from the home side. It proved fruitless as Granda secured their sixth win of the season and now sit a point below Betis in the Liga table. |
| Levante 1-2 Getafe |
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Levante succumbed to their second home defeat of the season in a 2-1 loss against Getafe which has left the Costa Blanca club without a win in their last five Liga fixtures.
Dani Guiza fired Getafe into the lead just past the half-hour mark with their first shot of the match, before the Azulones withstood a barrage of shots from the hosts. Juan Ignacio Martinez's side amassed a total of 18 efforts throughout the match but were punished for failing to convert any of them eight minutes from time when Diego Castro doubled the visitors' lead. The Valencia-based side were awarded a penalty in the final minutes when Alberto Lopo handled inside the area earning the defender a red card. Ruben Suarez converted the spot kick but it was case of too little, too late as Levante's stunning start to the campaign is quickly being forgotten. |
| Sociedad 5-1 Sporting Gijon |
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Real Sociedad thrashed relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon with a fine display of attacking football at the Municipal de Anoeta, helping move the home side four points clear of the bottom three.
The Basques' biggest win of the season saw them lead Sporting 2-0 within the opening five minutes after a David Zurutuza brace. The northerners did respond commendably and reduced the deficit a minute into the second half when De las Cuevas converted a free kick. Sporting threatened to level the match in a dominant spell after the break before Gorka Elustondo restored Sociedad's two goal cushion. And further goals from Mikel Aranburu and Antoine Griezmann late on secured an emphatic victory for the Basque outfit. |
| Racing Santander - Valencia |
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