It was weekend of rearranged fixtures in Spain as the Primera Iberdrola caught up on some matches that had been postponed earlier in the season. As always, there was plenty of drama and quality as well as lots of goals across the weekend.
Eibar 0-3 Barcelona
Another week, another routine win by Barcelona.
The match with Eibar was initially scheduled to be played in November. However, it had to be rescheduled following a couple of Covid cases in the Eibar camp.
Melanie Serrano got the scoring underway with her first goal of the season through a powerful left-footed volley. Mariona Caldentey then doubled the Catalans’ lead. She converted a rebound after the hour mark before Jenni Hermoso made it 3-0 in the final minutes of the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe victory means that it’s 17 consecutive wins for Barcelona. It won’t be long before people start suggesting they will go the whole season with a 100% record.
Sporting Huelva 1-2 Levante
Sporting Huelva took a shock lead in the opening two minutes against Champions League-chasing Levante. This came when Yoko Tanaka turned and took a shot in the area to find the bottom corner.
The Andalusian side could have then doubled their lead before half-time when the referee award a penalty. Dany Lima stepped up, but her shot was saved well by teenage goalkeeper Maria López. The visitors then had the opportunity to equalise, but Esther González could only find the crossbar with her cushioned volley.
Sporting looked to be taking all three points as the game entered the dying minutes. That was until 19-year-old María Méndez Fernández converted her header at the second time of asking. And the action was not done there.
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Levante thought they had found the winner when González nodded the ball into the back of the net. However, the offside flag denied her effort. Nevertheless, she was not deterred and struck again with possibly the goal of the season.
During the fourth minute of added time, a cross came in from the right. The Sporting defence headed it away, González mustered an outrageous acrobatic finish to hammer the ball into the bottom corner and send her team into ecstasy. It was goal worthy of winning any football match.
The result means Levante remain in second place, perfectly situated for the Champions League next season.
Valencia 2-2 Granadilla Tenerife
It was honours even between Valencia and Granadilla Tenerife on Saturday. The two sides played out a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Julia Aguado put the home side ahead as she stroked the ball into the far corner with a neat side-footed finish. Yet, the lead lasted only a matter of seconds before Cristina Martín-Prieto drilled the ball into the net after a great run into the area. The Spaniard then doubled her tally for the match as she tapped in from close range to give her side the lead in the first half.
The second half remained goalless until the final minute of the match. At this time, Valencia cancelled out Tenerife’s lead after a tremendous build-up. This left Ellen Jansen with an open goal and a simple finish to level the fixture.
The draw means that Tenerife lose ground in the race for a Champions League spot. Despite their games in hand, they will rue dropped points as a potentially tricky run of fixtures lies ahead.
Real Betis 1-0 Athletic Club
It was another dramatic stoppage time goal in the match between Real Betis and Athletic Club. The result meant a huge three points for Betis in their race for survival.
Overall, it has been a real upturn in fortunes for the Seville-based club since the arrival of manager Juan Amoros. Las Verdiblancas have won three of their six games since the former Tottenham boss took over. They only won two of their last 14 before Amoros’s arrival.
In this match, Andrea Medina thought she had put the home side in front after she headed Rosa Otermin deep free-kick into the back of the net. However, her effort was flagged for offside. Betis eventually had their goal when Bea Parra was played in behind and finished first time into the bottom corner deep into stoppage time.
Victory for Betis now means they’re one point away from safety. Yet, those above them still have a game in hand. Next up is a very difficult task at home to Atletico Madrid, so there is still plenty of work to do if Betis are to stave off relegation.
Rayo Vallecano 3-1 Deportivo
Deportivo remain rooted to the bottom of the table after yet another defeat, this time at the hands of Rayo Vallecano.
The hosts took a lead when Paula Fernández pounced on a defensive error in the Deportivo area and put her side ahead. However, the lead did not last long and Deportivo equalised 10 minutes later. It was Gabriela García who snatched the ball off the home defence before firing it into the back of the net to send the sides in level at the break.
Following the interval, Slađana Bulatović put the Madrid club back in front. Teresa Morató gathered the ball in the area and headed it home. Rayo then went two goals to the good through Sheila Garcia ten minutes from time to put the game to bed.
Logrono 2-2 Santa Teresa
It ended a point a piece in the massive relegation clash on Sunday. Neither Lorgono nor Santa Teresa were able to go home with the win.
Jade Boho got the scoring underway in the 23rd minute when she lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box to put Logrono a goal to the good. Santa Teresa then responded through Belén Martínez who turned in a rebound after Pamela Tajonar blocked her first effort.
Martínez got her brace in the second period when she went one-on-one with the keeper before slotting the ball into the corner. Finnish international Linda Nyman then finished the scoring as she unleashed the ball from more then 20-yards into the top corner.
Real Sociedad 3-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid opened the door for their Champions League chasing rivals following their defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The match started well for Madrid when Marta Cardona put Las Blancas ahead in the opening quarter of an hour. She pulled off a tremendous curling left-footed shot from distance. Sanni Franssi then put the two sides on even terms as she finished off a well worked move to make it 1-1.
Embed from Getty ImagesSociedad completed the turn around in the second period when Nerea Eizagirre fired the ball into the top corner on the turn. The hosts then secured all three points when Madrid failed to clear a corner. Franssi was there once again to finish it off.
The result means that the chasing pack can close the gap on Madrid in third, whilst also keeping Sociedad’s hopes of European football alive.
