Liga F round up: Real Madrid edge out Tenerife, Barcelona beat Atleti | OneFootball

Real Madrid required a stoppage-time winner to beat Costa Adeje Tenerife on match-day 18 of the Liga F season. Barcelona maintained their nine-point lead at the top of the table with a win over Atlético Madrid.

Catch up on all the action as we look back on the final round of fixtures before the international break.

Sporting de Huelva 1-3 Valencia

Valencia got the better of basement side Huelva to bring an end to their five-game winless league run. Anita Marcos fired a left-foot strike past Zala Meršnik to break the deadlock in the 30th minute. After giving her side a narrow half-time lead, the 23-year-old doubled Valencia’s advantage in the opening stages of the second period. Pauleta’s deep free-kick found the unmarked Anita, who directed her header into the bottom corner.

Jimena López quickly added a third, before Sandra Castelló pulled a goal back for the hosts. However, there was to be no comeback, as Valencia saw out the remainder of the contest to claim their first win since December.

Granada 2-2 Sevilla

Granada picked up a useful point in their battle to remain in the division. Ornella Vignola produced a thunderbolt in the first minute to get the hosts off to a perfect start. The 19-year-old sent her sensational long-range strike swerving past an outstretched Esther Sullastres. Sevilla found a swift equaliser through former Granada midfielder Pamela González, who produced a clinical header from Débora García’s inviting delivery.

The visitors completed the turnaround on the stroke of half time, with Cristina Martín-Prieto slotting home her 12th league goal of the season.

Sevilla protected their slender advantage until Granada were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute. Naima García stepped up to squeeze the ball into the bottom corner despite the fact Sullastres managed to get a hand to the effort. The draw moves the hosts to within one point of safety with 12 matches left to play.

Athletic Club 1-0 Real Betis

Athletic Club left it late to snatch all three points in Saturday’s home meeting with Real Betis. The contest looked destined to finish in a goalless draw until Jone Amezaga found the net in the 89th minute. The 19-year-old sent her flicked header into the net after Maddi Torre towered high to nod the ball towards goal from a corner. Athletic head into the international break in eighth position, while Betis are languishing in 14th spot and just one point above the drop zone.

Villarreal 1-1 Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad earned a draw in Saturday’s away meeting with Villarreal. The visitors took a narrow lead into the break after Emma Ramírez scored her first goal of the season with the help of a deflection. Villarreal benefitted from their own deflected effort in the 70th minute when Lucía Gómez struck Ane Etxezarreta on its way to nestling in the bottom corner.

While Real Sociedad are now unbeaten in 11 competitive matches, they have seen three of their previous four league games finish all square. As for Villarreal, they have now gone four consecutive matches without defeat.

Eibar 0-0 Levante

Levante went into the weekend in a confident mood after holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in their midweek away fixture. However, they were left disappointed with a point in Sunday’s meeting with Eibar. The relegation-threatened side thought for a brief moment that they had snatched all three points when Ane Campos fired home, only to see her celebrations cut short by the assistant’s flag.

As a result of the draw, Eibar are three points above the bottom two, while third-placed Levante boast a three-point cushion over Madrid CFF in fourth position.

Barcelona 2-0 Atlético Madrid

After being held to a draw by Levante, Barcelona returned to winning ways in Sunday’s meeting with Atlético Madrid. Salma Paralluelo broke the deadlock in the closing stages of the first period, sliding the ball in at the near post after being teed up by Esmee Brugts. Vicky López tapped in from close range in the final 15 minutes to wrap up all three points. Barcelona are currently nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the Liga F table, while Atleti are in fifth place seven points adrift of the top three.

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Real Madrid 2-1 Costa Adeje Tenerife

Real Madrid had to work hard for maximum points in their home Liga F clash with Tenerife. World Cup winner Olga Carmona kept her cool from the penalty spot to give the hosts a slender advantage at the break.

Real Madrid’s afternoon was on course to be a frustrating one after Tenerife managed to snatch an equaliser, but Signe Bruun guided the ball home from Sandie Toletti’s dangerous cross to clinch all three points.

Madrid CFF 2-1 Levante Las Planas

After playing out a goalless first half, Madrid CFF took the lead in the 48th minute in rather fortuitous circumstances. Nayluisa Cáceres looked set to gather Lee Young-ju’s strike from the edge of the box, but the ball did not bounce as high as anticipated and ultimately rolled through the legs of the Levante Las Planas goalkeeper.  Cristina Librán quickly doubled the home side’s advantage, prodding the ball past Cáceres from Lee’s chipped pass.

Matters got worse for the visitors when Morocco international Anissa Lahmari was shown a straight red card in the 83rd minute. Cristina Baudet still managed to set up a nervy finale, pulling a goal back in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Baudet was then presented with a chance to rescue a point from the penalty spot when Aida Esteve was penalised for a rash challenge. Unfortunately for the visitors, Paola Ulloa made a sensational stop before Baudet blazed the rebound over the bar.

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