After another great weekend of La Liga action, it’s pretty much as you were at the top of the table as the leading two both came back from two-goal deficits to draw.
Real Madrid’s lead remains four points after Eder Militao headed an injury-time equaliser to save their blushes against 15th-placed Elche and Sevilla had to settle for a point against Celta Vigo.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid staged a late, late fightback to take all three points against Valencia and there was some cheer for struggling Cadiz as they won away to Levante.
It could have been worse for Los Blancos
With just ten minutes left on the clock at the Santiago Bernabeu, the crowd was hushed because Real Madrid trailed 2-0. In one of the strangest games of the campaign, we even saw a Karim Benzema penalty miss after Vinicius Junior was upended by Helibelton Palacios, and that rarity looked like costing Los Blancos when Lucas Boye and Pere Milla gave Elche the initiative.
But the door was opened when Milla handled in the penalty area, and this time, Luka Modric planted the spot-kick home with ease. Carlo Ancelotti has expressed an interest in bringing Norwegian scoring sensation Erling Braut Haaland to Madrid, and when Benzema limped off in the second half that might have started to weigh on the boss’s mind. And it was centre-back Eder who saved a point, heading in Vinicius’ injury-time cross.
Sevilla miss a second chance
With Atletico Madrid and Barcelona both struggling for form throughout the first half of the campaign, it has been left to Sevilla to take the challenge to Real Madrid, but the La Liga 2022 betting odds took a shift away from Julen Lopetegui’s team as they had to settle for a draw for the second week in a row.
Last week, they conceded a lead to draw 1-1 away to Valencia, and on Saturday, Sevilla had to come from behind to save a point at home to Celta Vigo.
A good run of form has lifted Los Celestes up to a mid-table position and they raced 2-0 ahead at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan thanks to two goals in four minutes courtesy of Franco Cervi and the veteran hitman Iago Aspas.
Sevilla got back into the game on 71 minutes when Papu Gomez took a pass from Jesus Corona just outside the penalty area and rifled his shot into the top left corner.
That strike was one of the La Liga 2022 highlights of the weekend and it spurred Sevilla on. The ultimate comeback looked on when Oliver Torres made it 2-2 with a quarter of an hour remaining, but Celta held on for an impressive point.
Los Sevillanos had a chance to close the gap at the top of the La Liga table to two points, but the pressure eased on Real Madrid with this result. With 65 per cent possession and 16 shots to six, this was a missed chance for Sevilla.
When the going gets tough… Atleti get going
The most spectacular and latest comeback of the weekend came at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium where Atletico Madrid entered the 91st minute 2-1 down to Valencia, but they scored twice in injury time to take three points and hold on to their Champions League place.
Los Che could have made a move on the top seven with a win and they looked right on course at half-time thanks to goals from Yunus Musah and Hugo Duro. But midway through the second half, Matheus Cunha gave Los Rojiblancos hope when he converted a corner from Yannick Carrasco. The hosts then laid siege to Valencia’s goal, but they had failed to breach the visitors’ defence as injury time approached.
We previewed this game, here at SBOTOP, and suggested that Atleti’s desire and home advantage might decide the match and they came through in the dying minutes. First, the in-form Angel Correa levelled on 91 minutes and then Mario Hermoso smashed the ball into the roof of the net to lift the roof off the stadium.
The Beast has Cadiz up for the fight
Cadiz moved up to 18th place and within touching distance of safety thanks to a 2-0 win in a relegation six-pointer away to Levante.
Alvaro Negredo, known as the Beast of Ballecas, has enjoyed an impressive career, spanning 17 years, and the well-travelled target man has graced (if that’s the word) the stadiums of top European clubs including Manchester City and Sevilla. Negredo terrorised the Levante defence when he met a cross from Anthony Lozano with a firm header into the bottom corner of the net.
Levante pushed for a leveller but Cadiz took the game away, on 73 minutes, when Salvi Sanchez made no mistake from close range.
It’s now just two defeats in six for Cadiz, who climb to within two points of safety, while Levante are in serious trouble, as they remain rock bottom and seven points further back.
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