NewKerala.com

La Liga: Villarreal Held, Levante and Rayo Earn Key Wins

Villarreal drew 1-1 with Oviedo to maintain third place in La Liga, with Nicolas Pepe scoring from a retaken penalty and Ilyas Chaira equalizing. Levante defeated Sevilla 2-0 with Ivan Romero scoring twice in a key relegation battle. Rayo Vallecano earned a vital 1-0 win over Espanyol thanks to Sergio Camello's late goal. Real Madrid and Barcelona also won their matches, while Atletico Madrid lost 3-2 to Elche.

Key Points: La Liga Roundup: Villarreal Held, Levante and Rayo Win

  • Villarreal draws 1-1 with Oviedo, stays third
  • Levante beats Sevilla 2-0 in relegation battle
  • Rayo Vallecano wins 1-0 over Espanyol
  • Real Madrid, Barcelona also secure victories
2 min read

La Liga: Villarreal held, Levante and Rayo earn key wins

Villarreal draws 1-1 with Oviedo; Levante beats Sevilla 2-0; Rayo Vallecano edges Espanyol 1-0. Real Madrid, Barcelona also win.

"Villarreal strengthened its hold on third place in La Liga with a 1-1 draw - Xinhua"

Madrid, April 24

Villarreal strengthened its hold on third place in La Liga with a 1-1 draw away to bottom side Oviedo, which produced another battling display but remains six points from safety.

Nicolas Pepe put Villarreal ahead with a retaken penalty after Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell had saved his first effort, but Ilyas Chaira leveled in the 68th minute after a smart assist from Alberto Reina.

Ayoze Perez hit the woodwork for Villarreal in the closing minutes, but the draw still left the east-coast side five points ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid, reports Xinhua.

Ivan Romero scored twice as Levante beat Sevilla 2-0 at home in a key game in the relegation battle.

Romero's first goal was a powerful shot, and his second finished off a counterattack in injury time to end Sevilla's hopes after the visitors failed to register a shot on target.

Sergio Camello's 86th-minute goal gave Rayo Vallecano three vital points in a 1-0 home win over Espanyol, which still has not won a game in 2026.

The Barcelona-based side had a chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot, but Rayo goalkeeper Sergio Cardenas saved Kike Garcia's powerful 72nd-minute spot kick.

On Tuesday, Real Madrid beat Deportivo Alaves 2-1, Athletic Club won 1-0 at home to Osasuna, Real Betis triumphed 3-2 away to Girona, and Mallorca and Valencia drew 1-1.

Wednesday's three games saw FC Barcelona win 1-0 at home to Celta Vigo to stay nine points clear at the top of La Liga, Elche defeat Atletico Madrid 3-2, and Getafe take advantage of Real Sociedad's Copa del Rey hangover to claim a 1-0 win in San Sebastian. That match was decided by an own goal, with Getafe failing to register a shot on target.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

K
Kavya N
Espanyol still winless in 2026? That's rough, yaar. Missed penalty and still no points—they're in a real mess. Rayo Vallecano's fight for survival is admirable. But honestly, La Liga's lower table drama is more interesting than the title race sometimes.
P
Priya S
Barcelona keeping that 9-point lead is scary for other teams. But Elche beating Atletico 3-2! 😲 That's a shocker. Getafe winning without a single shot on target—own goal magic I guess. Football can be so random, which is why we love it!
J
James A
Interesting weekend in La Liga. Villarreal should have put Oviedo away but credit to the bottom side for fighting. Levante's Ivan Romero stepping up when it matters most—two goals, clean sheet for Sevilla? No shots on target? That's shocking form from a Europa League contender.
R
Rohit P
As an Indian football fan who follows La Liga closely, I feel for Espanyol. 2026 mein abhi tak ek bhi jeet nahi? That's heartbreaking. Penalty miss se confidence bhi low hoga. But Rayo's resilience is commendable—they're fighting for every point. Survival battles are the real test of character. 🙌
R
Ryan S
Nice to see Levante getting a crucial win. Ivan Romero looks like a real talent. But Sevilla with zero shots on target? That's inexcusable for a team of their stature. Villarreal's draw with Oviedo shows how competitive La Liga is from top to bottom—anyone can take points off anyone.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50