Barcelona moved up to third in the Spanish Football League after a 1-1 draw against rivals Valencia on Saturday after Atletico Madrid lost 0-2 to rivals Athletic Bilbao in Spain’s Round of 17. Football League.

Despite moving up to third with 35 points, one point ahead of fourth-placed Atletico, Barcelona failed to win their second straight after losing 2-4 to leaders Girona in the Catalunya derby. Belgium’s Royal Antwerp 2-3 in the Champions League ensured a place in the quarter-finals of Europe.

Barcelona, ​​whose coach Xavi Hernandez’s future is up in the air, has failed to close the gap on leaders Girona (41 points), which hosts Alaves on Monday, and second-placed Real Madrid. Hosts Villarreal on Sunday.

Barcelona left with a positive sign against the “Bats” club, as it has not lost in its last eight matches outside its fortress, since the last defeat of the Catalans outside their home ground in the competition was at home on June 4. Celta Vigo 1-2.

For its part, Valencia have failed to win a five-match streak with two draws and three defeats after being beaten 0-1 at the Getafe Stadium last week.

Two minutes after Barcelona’s opening whistle at the Mestalla Stadium, Diego Lopes sent a through ball to Ukrainian Roman Yaremchuk, who turned and fired a powerful right-footed shot as a result of a throw-in down the left. Catalan goalkeeper Iñaki Penawall.

Robert Lewandowski had a shot from 30 meters blocked by Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili with his fists, before waiting for the Polish striker’s scissor shot after German Ilkay Gundogan’s pass.

Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid in the 55th minute, a deep pass from Dutchman Frankie de Jong to Brazilian Rafinha sent the Portuguese in front of goal and he shot it with his left foot.

It was Felix’s third goal of the season in 14 league appearances in a Barcelona shirt, and Rafinha’s third.

Valencia equalized with a shot past its defender Hugo Guillaumon, who the video assistant referee (VAR) confirmed was not offside at the start of the attack.

Mamardashvili blocks De Jong’s pass to Rafinha.

Bilbao beat Atletico

In its game against Atlético Madrid, Bilbao waited until the second half to score two goals through striker Gorka Korozetta and Nico Williams with a brilliant curling shot.

The Basque club, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in spectacular surroundings, defied the efforts of Atletico, with Unai Simon excelling between the three goals, to suffer their fourth defeat of the season, their score in third place with 34 points. For Barcelona, ​​it will then move on to Valencia.

A 1-2 loss to Las Palmas in the twelfth round came three days after a win over Italian Lazio 2 and a 0-1 loss to Barcelona in the fifteenth round saw Atletico slip into a third straight away defeat. 0 in the clash in the Champions League to be part of the semi-finals and to top the group.

“I think we played badly,” Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak told Movistar.

He continued, “We can’t play this way. You can’t win titles this way, and you can’t win the league. Bilbao were much better than us.”

For its part, Athletic Bilbao renewed its chances of a place in next season’s main continental competition after raising its score to 32 points in fifth place.

Celta Vigo achieved its first win after a streak of 12 matches during which it has not tasted victory, especially since the fourth stage (Almeria won 3-2) beating its host Granada 1-0, with Norwegian Jørgen Larsson scoring.

Celta Vigo came away with three points for the second time this season, moving up to seventeenth place with 13 points, despite the 80th minute dismissal of its captain, veteran striker Giaco Aspas (36 years old). Runners-up Granada are in 19th place with 8 points.

Sevilla sacks its coach

Gedaffa beat hosts Sevilla by three clean sheets to deepen the wounds, alternating between Borja Meyer (5 from a penalty kick), Jaime Mata and Englishman Mason Greenwood (80 from a penalty kick).

Getafe moved up to eighth place with 25 points, while Sevilla suffered their second defeat in a row in the league and third in as many matches, winning just twice in the league this season and finishing sixteenth with 13 points.

Uruguayan coach Diego Alonso paid the price for the Andalusian club’s poor results as they lost 1-2 to French club Lens in the last-six of the Champions League on Tuesday. absolved it of its technical obligations.

Sevilla signed Alonso in October as a replacement for Jose Luis Mendeleev, but he has failed to win a game in either the league or continental competition.

Alonso (48 years old), while sitting on the bench of Sevilla, who won the Europa League title seven times, won the orphan match 2-0 against Atlético Astorca from the fifth division in the second round of the local cup. Competition.

Matches in this phase continue on Sunday with Almeria playing against Real Mallorca, Real Sociedad against Real Betis and Las Palmas against Cádiz.