BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Valencia closed within a point of Spanish league leader Barcelona after dispatching visiting Sevilla 4-0 on Saturday.
Barcelona faced last-placed Malaga at home in the closing match of the day, with added pressure from second-placed Valencia.
Surging Valencia has won five in a row. It can’t be overtaken for now. Third-placed Real Madrid hosts Eibar on Sunday.
Sevilla has lost three in a row in all competitions, including 5-1 to Spartak Moscow in the Europa League.
Managed by Eduardo Berizzo, the team started off red-hot in La Liga but has floundered lately, ranking fifth in the standings.
VAMOS VALENCIA
Gonzalo Guedes opened the scoring for Valencia near halftime with a majestic strike from outside the box after deftly outmaneuvering two defenders on the chase.
Simone Zaza added his eighth league goal after the break with a spin and low cross shot. Santi Mina came off the bench and scored the third with just five minutes to go, finishing off a speedy counterattack for the hosts.
But the show was all Guedes, and the Portuguese midfielder rounded off his great game with the closer, subtly poking the ball over goalkeeper Sergio Rico in added time.
ON THE REBOUND
Real Betis rebounded from its demoralizing home loss to Valencia by defeating struggling Alaves 2-0.
The result put Betis in sixth place, tied with neighbor Sevilla.
Antonio Sanabria scored early in the first half to lead the hosts to victory a week after losing to Valencia 6-3 at Benito Villamarin Stadium in Seville.
Betis added to the lead with an own goal by Alaves defender Alexis Ruano midway through the second half.
Sanabria scored the first goal with a header after a right-side cross by Victor Camarasa, and Ruano found his own net while trying to clear a low cross by Cristian Tello in a breakaway.
Sanabria has scored at least once in each of his last five league games. The Paraguay striker has seven goals in the last seven matches with club and country.
It was the eighth loss for Alaves in nine league matches. It remains second-to-last in the standings with three points, two more than Malaga.
LACKLUSTER DRAW
Levante and Getafe played to 1-1 and both teams stayed near the middle of the table.
Faycal Fajr put Getafe ahead in the 58th and Jose Luis Morales equalized for the hosts four minutes later.
Levante lost striker Alexander “Nano” Mesa early in the second half because of a ligament injury in his right knee.
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Tales Azzoni contributed from Barcelona.
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