Valencia held at Santander

Spoils shared at the Sardinero as Valencia draw to remain third in Spain’s Primera Division.

Sofiane Feghouli
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The late equaliser keeps Santander just out of the relegation zone in 17th spot [EPA]

Aritz Aduriz came off the bench to score twice for third-placed Valencia but they were denied victory by a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Racing Santander in Spain’s Primera Division on Sunday.

Adrian Gonzalez had given Racing a second-minute lead at the Sardinero, but the introduction of striker Aduriz in the 63rd turned the game for the visitors.

He volleyed in from a corner four minutes later and poached a second with an opportunist header, before Bernardo rose to head Zaragoza level two minutes from time.

Tempers boiled over at the end with the hosts having Pedro Munitis sent off while Ricardo Costa was dismissed for Valencia who finished with nine on the pitch as Mehmet Topal left with a head injury after all the substitutes had been used.

Valencia have 36 points from 20 games, and are nine behind second-placed Barcelona who they host in a King’s Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Levante win

Results & fixtures

Saturday January 28

Espanyol 1-0 Mallorca
Vallecano 2-3 Bilbao
Real Madrid 3-1 Zaragoza
Villarreal 0-0 Barcelona

Sunday January 29

Real Betis 1-2 Granada
Levante 1-2 Getafe
Sociedad 4-1 Gijon
Santander 2-2 Valencia
Malaga v Sevilla

Monday January 30

Osasuna v Atletico Madrid

Levante, fourth with 31 points, lost 2-1 at home to Getafe.

Former Spain striker Dani Guiza opened the scoring for the visitors with a lucky rebound. Diego Castro doubled the lead on a breakaway in the 83rd and Ruben Suarez pulled one back for the osts from the penalty spot at the end.

They retain the last Champions League qualification berth on goal difference from Espanyol in fifth.

New Granada coach Abel Resino made a winning start with a 2-1 victory at Andalucian rivals Real Betis in the midday kickoff.

First-half goals from Nigerian striker Ighalo and Portuguese midfielder Carlos Martins helped drag the promoted side out of the bottom three up to 16th with 22 points.

They are ahead of Racing with 21, Villarreal on 20, Sporting Gijon with 18 and basement side Zaragoza with 12.

Sporting were hammered 5-1 at Real Sociedad. David Zurutuza scored twice in the first four minutes before having to be substituted after a clash of heads in the seventh and taken to hospital for surgery on a broken nose.

The Basques wrapped up the win with three more goals in the last 14 minutes.

Source: Reuters